Alcaraz Overcomes Injury Scare to Advance in Barcelona

Carlos Alcaraz made a triumphant return to the court, defeating Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2, to reach the last 16 of the Barcelona Open, just 48 hours after his Monte-Carlo Masters final loss to Jannik Sinner. The Spanish tennis star battled through a wrist issue, which required a medical timeout at the end of the first set, but showed no signs of discomfort during the 85-minute match. With this win, Alcaraz marked his fourth Barcelona R16, having won 27 of his last 29 matches on clay, including his 22nd win of 2026. 'Being back and winning in front of my people in Barcelona means everything to me,' Alcaraz said, expressing his joy after the match. He faces Czech player Tomas Machac on Thursday. Alcaraz, who is chasing his third title this season after winning the Australian Open and the ATP 500 event in Doha, is focused on reclaiming the world No 1 spot from Sinner. He needs to win the tournament to achieve this goal. The absence of Sinner in the draw has boosted Alcaraz's hopes of capturing the trophy on familiar territory. Despite the motivation to quickly reclaim the top ranking, Alcaraz emphasized that steady improvement during the clay season remains his top priority. 'The battle between Jannik and myself is great, and it probably provides extra motivation,' he said. 'However, we're focused on staying on the path we're on and trying to keep improving.' Alcaraz is looking forward to a full schedule on clay, with upcoming events in Madrid and Rome, before defending his French Open title in Paris on May 24. Fans can watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, which offers over 50 percent more live sports this year at no extra cost.