Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz retired from the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Wednesday due to a right wrist injury, the organizers announced.
Following his opening round at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz underwent a medical evaluation on Wednesday morning to assess an issue in his right wrist he experienced during the match held the day before.
During a press conference, the seven-time major winner announced his withdrawal from the tournament.
"I felt my wrist give out on a return during the match," he outlined. "After the tests, we saw that it's a more serious injury than any of us expected, and I have to listen to my body and avoid it affecting me in the future.."
Adding: "Sadly, I'll have to go home and get back to full health as soon as possible with my team, doctors, and physio."
Therefore, his scheduled second-round opponent, the Czech player Tomas Machac, received a walkover into the quarterfinals and now awaits either fifth seed Andrey Rublev or Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
Machac battled past Argentine Sebastian Baez 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to advance in his Barcelona campaign.
Alcaraz launched his quest for a third title at the ATP 500 tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen on Rafa Nadal court.
However, at the end of a close first set, the 22-year-old called a medical timeout due to some discomfort in his right wrist, which the physio bandaged up.
Upon return to action, he managed to move forward, taking the win in straight sets after 85 minutes.
Addressing his performance, the Murcia native said: “It was a bit tough for me, especially at the beginning, to find the right rhythm and momentum, but little by little I think we started to feel better, adapting more and more to the conditions in Barcelona and finishing at a good level.”
When asked about the physical issue, the top seed, in good spirits, said he hoped it was nothing serious but that he would undergo further testing on his day off.
On Sunday, he failed to defend his Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title, losing to Jannik Sinner in the championship match.
The Italian claimed his maiden crown in The Principality, reclaiming the world No. 1 spot in the process.
It remains unclear whether Alcaraz will be fit to compete at the Madrid Open, just nine days away, or decide to skip it with his Roland-Garros title defense looming.
The French Open will get underway on 18 May.