In a disappointing piece of news for fans, Carlos Alcaraz has made a last-minute withdrawal from the upcoming 2024 Barcelona Open. The two-time defending champ of this tournament had earlier skipped the Monte Carlo Masters due to an injury on his right hand, but the same issue forces him to miss the event in Barcelona.
Alcaraz has been in good form this year but has failed to replicate the results on clay. He made his debut on the soil in Buenos Aires but lost in the semi-finals in his title defense attempt. The Spaniard next played at the Rio Open but injured his ankle and retired just after two games.
Carlos Alcaraz receiving treatment on his hand (Image via IMAGO)
Alcaraz has often expressed his desire to win the French Open and has been eyeing the title this season. But with two back-to-back withdrawals, his preparation is getting cut short for the Grand Slam event scheduled next month.
At age 20, the two-time Grand Slam singles title winner has undergone quite a few injury breaks. This has not been ideal given he has a long career in front of him.
Fans upset with Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from Barcelona Open
With the withdrawal in Barcelona, Alcaraz is now left with only the two Masters-1000 events to try and get in shape for Roland Garros. He would have hoped to get fit and waited till the draw was made. But it seems, the medical team didn’t give him a clearance and he had to pull out from Barcelona tournament.
As the news was confirmed by the tournament, social media expressed their disappointment with the young Spaniard. Many advised him to cut down on his schedule to manage his workload. With his game style also taxing on his body, others felt he needed to learn from the likes of Novak Djokovic on how to maintain fitness. Check out the reactions down below:
With the two-time defending champ absent this year, other players will look to claim their stake at the Barcelona Open trophy. As for Alcaraz, he gets another week’s rest to prepare for the 2024 Madrid Masters. He will be the two-time defending champ there as well.
