Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open due to a wrist injury that proved to be more severe than initially anticipated. Alcaraz, who was aiming to reclaim the world's top ranking, had won his first match but experienced wrist pain and was set to face Tomas Machac in the next round. The two-time Barcelona champion had only just 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 further injury. "The truth is that I have to listen to my body and not harm myself in the future," Alcaraz stated. He now faces a tight schedule to recover in time for the Madrid and Rome tournaments as he prepares to defend his French Open title. Meanwhile, British No 1 Cameron Norrie advanced to the quarter-finals in Barcelona after a challenging three-set match against Ethan Quinn.
Norrie is likely to face a competitive quarter-final tie against Spanish 19-year-old Rafael Jodar. On the WTA Tour, Katie Boulter progressed to the last eight after defeating third seed Jaqueline Cristian, while Iga Swiatek secured a quarter-final berth at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Novak Djokovic has announced his return to action at the Mutua Madrid Open, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis.