Home favorite Carlos Alcaraz confirmed in a press conference held on Thursday morning his withdrawal from his home Masters 1000 tournament, the Mutua Madrid Open, due to a right adductor injury sustained in Barcelona last week.
“In the Barcelona final, I felt something in the left hamstring. I didn’t think that it was that serious,” he outlined.
“I’m really disappointed that I’m not able to play here in Madrid. It is a place where I love playing in front of my people, in front of my family, and my friends. They cannot travel so much, so here is a special place for me.”
The rumors about the Spaniard’s fitness surged after last Sunday, when he fell in the Barcelona final to Danish player Holger Rune in straight sets.
Following a highly competitive opener, Alcaraz called the physio twice during the second set, visibly struggling with what seemed to be a leg injury, immediately casting doubts about his presence at the Masters 1000 held in Madrid.
However, the 21-year-old traveled to Spain’s capital city, participating in several events, without hitting the court to practice during those days.
Scans would show a small tear in his abductor area, adding to the discomfort he also felt in his left hamstring, making unable for the Murcia native to compete at the venue, just over a month until his Roland-Garros title defense begins.
In the lead-up, he is scheduled to play at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, early in May.
“We have decided not to take risks, not to worsen the situation for the future, and to listen to my body. We have to make difficult decisions, but we have made the right one.
“I will try to rest, recover, and be back on the court as soon as possible.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion kickstarted his clay swing at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, lifting the trophy in The Principality for the first time, beating Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the championship match.
Then, the two-time Madrid winner headed straight to Barcelona, where he went the distance to reach the final.
His quarter of the draw features the likes of 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov as sixth seed Alex de Minaur in the top half.