Carlos Alcaraz Withdraws from Barcelona
By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
A wrist watch has knocked Carlos Alcaraz out of Barcelona.
Alcaraz officially withdrew from the Barcelona Open today citing concerns over the wrist issue he sustained during his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Otto Virtanen yesterday. In a statement, the tournament said Alcaraz pulled out after undergoing scans on his right wrist.
“It’s strange and difficult to sit here for the second time and communicate that I won’t be able to continue in the tournament,” the 2025 finalist Alcaraz told the media in Barcelona. “As you could all see, yesterday in the match after a return my wrist beat me and I felt a discomfort that gradually got worse.
“It is a situation that I had already felt previously and that I believed was not going to go any further, that it was only a demand for the whole week.
“But looking at the evidence today, it is a slightly more serious injury than we all expected. I must listen to my body, what suits me best, that it does not affect me in the future,”
World No. 2 Alcaraz took a medical timeout late in the opening set to have his wrist taped up yesterday.
“They are discomforts that come out seeing the few days I have had of recovery in some movement that is not usual,” Alcaraz told Spanish media in Barcelona after his opening-round win on Tuesday. “I went more relaxed to the second set. Juanjo, my physio, will see me, but they are discomforts that I have had before and that did not get worse.
“My idea is to be in the best possible condition for Thursday’s [match].”
Reigning Roland Garros, US Open and Australian Open champion Alcaraz arrived in Barcelona riding a streak of seven straight clay-court finals. Alcaraz launched his quest for a third Barcelona title yesterday knowing if he took the title, he would surpass rival Jannik Sinner and regain the world No. 1 ranking.
Now, that will have to wait. Alcaraz aims to rest and recover ahead of his title defenses in Rome and Roland Garros.
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