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Carlos Alcaraz has officially pulled out of the Madrid Open, leaving fans heartbroken. The Spaniard was forced to make the tough call after struggling with an abductor muscle injury he picked up during his final match at the Barcelona Open against Holger Rune — a match he was hoping would mark his third title win at the ATP 500 event.
Alcaraz had entered Madrid as the second seed and was set to begin his campaign in the second round. But even though he appeared in the draw, questions about his fitness lingered all week. Now, with his withdrawal confirmed, the focus shifts to his recovery and whether he'll be ready in time for the next stretch of the claycourt season, particularly the French Open.
The Spaniard held a press conference today, where he confirmed his withdrawal from the Madrid Open with visible disappointment. He revealed that it wasn’t just the abductor muscle in his right leg troubling him — he’s also dealing with issues in his left hamstring and groin.
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"I couldn't practice the entire week and found out I had hamstring and groin injuries. I needed to listen to my body and make the right decision. On Monday I'll have more medical tests and after that we will have a better idea on how long I'll be out,” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz went on to share his future plans, saying that while participating in the Rome Masters seems unlikely at the moment, he’s still going to try his best to be fit in time. However, he did give fans something to hold on to by firmly assuring that, regardless of what happens in Rome, he will be at the French Open.
“I expect to go back to court and start practising in a couple of weeks. Rome is still a possibility, but for sure I'll be in Paris. It's not an easy decision because Madrid is the first tournament I have ever been to as a young kid, it's the most special place for me to play. But (prioritizing Roland Garros) was a big part of my decision to stop and recover properly,” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz is the defending French Open champion
Carlos Alcaraz has a packed schedule ahead of him this season. First up, he is expected to return to Roland Garros as the defending champion, having secured his third Grand Slam title there last year by defeating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Following that, Alcaraz will shift his focus to Wimbledon, where he’ll be aiming for a third consecutive title after back-to-back wins over Novak Djokovic.
However, with the ATP Tour brimming with top-level talent this year, the competition will be fierce. To add to that, Jannik Sinner is also expected to return following his three-month suspension, making the challenge even greater.
