Alcaraz pulls out

Carlos Alcaraz is out of the Barcelona Open after tests on his right wrist, ending his week at one of his biggest home tournaments. (atptour.com) The tournament announced the withdrawal on Wednesday, April 15, one day after Alcaraz beat Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 in the first round. Tomáš Macháč, who was due to play Alcaraz in the second round, advanced by walkover. (barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com) Alcaraz had called for treatment during that Virtanen match, and Sky Sports reported he said afterward that the pain appeared in his forehand and had started after Monte Carlo. He skipped practice before the withdrawal and went for more tests on Wednesday morning. (skysports.com) The timing hits the middle of the clay-court swing, the stretch of the season that leads into the French Open in Paris. Roland-Garros is scheduled for May 24 to June 7, leaving Alcaraz with a narrow window to recover before the year’s second Grand Slam. (rolandgarros.com) Barcelona also carried ranking stakes. ESPN reported Alcaraz needed to win the title to have a chance to move back ahead of Jannik Sinner for No. 1 next week, and that opportunity is now gone. (espn.com) The withdrawal is a sharp turn after Alcaraz’s fast return from Monte Carlo. Sky Sports said he came back to competition 48 hours after losing the Monte Carlo final to Sinner, and Reuters reported the wrist problem was picked up after that event. (skysports.com) (thestar.com.my) Barcelona is not a minor stop for him. ATP Tour and the tournament site both note that Alcaraz won the title there in 2022 and 2023, making this one of the home clay events most closely tied to his rise. (atptour.com) (barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com) After the withdrawal, Alcaraz said he would go home and begin recovery with his team, doctors and physiotherapist, and try to get fit as soon as possible. For now, the focus shifts from Barcelona to whether his wrist settles in time for the rest of the clay season. (atptour.com)