Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open due to a wrist injury that proved more severe than initially anticipated. The Spanish player had won his opening match against Otto Virtanen but experienced wrist pain and was scheduled to face Tomas Machac in the next round. Alcaraz, a two-time champion in Barcelona, had recently returned to competition after losing the Monte-Carlo Masters final to Jannik Sinner.
Following a medical examination, Alcaraz decided to withdraw from the tournament to avoid exacerbating the injury. He expressed his disappointment, stating that he never likes to give up on any tournament, especially one as important to him as the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz now faces a tight schedule to recover in time for the upcoming tournaments in Madrid and Rome, which are crucial in his preparation for the defense of his French Open title. Meanwhile, British No 1 Cameron Norrie advanced to the quarter-finals in Barcelona, while Katie Boulter and Iga Swiatek also progressed in their respective tournaments.