Carlos Alcaraz has announced his withdrawal from the Madrid Open. The decision follows an adductor injury he sustained during his final match loss against Holger Rune in Barcelona last Sunday.
Alcaraz, who was expected to begin his campaign for a third Madrid title on Friday, confirmed his inability to play during a press conference held on Thursday.
His absence impacts the tournament draw, as he was positioned in the same section as potential quarter-finalists Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper.
Despite also having been troubled by his left hamstring recently, the 21-year-old expressed optimism about a swift return. He stated that he is “not really worried about” the injuries and anticipates recovering within “one week, one week and a half, two weeks maximum”.
He added that he would “do everything it takes” to be ready for his next planned event in Rome, scheduled to start on May 7. Further evaluations of the injury are planned for the beginning of next week.
“My hope is to play in Rome,” he commented. “If not, the next tournament is Roland Garros for me. I will try to be on court as soon as possible.”
Roland Garros, where Alcaraz is the defending champion, is set to commence on May 25.
“You have to hear your body sometimes and take difficult decisions”
After an unexpected first-round exit at the Miami Open last month against David Goffin, Alcaraz had enjoyed a strong start to the clay-court season. He claimed his first Monte-Carlo Masters title and built a nine-match winning streak before his 7-6, 6-2 defeat to Rune in the Barcelona final last Sunday.
Having lost the first set tie-break, the Spanish star took an off-court medical timeout early in the second set and did not manage to win any further games after returning to the court.
“In the Barcelona final I felt something in the left hamstring that I didn`t think was that serious,” he explained.
“I`m really disappointed I`m not able to play here in Madrid,” he stated. “It`s a place I really love playing in front of my people, my family, my friends.”
He continued, “Here is a special place for me so it was a really difficult situation, really difficult to decide not [to be] able to play, but it is what it is.”
“Tennis is really a demanding sport, playing week after week, so many matches in a row, and you have to hear your body sometimes and take difficult decisions,” Alcaraz said.
He concluded, “But I will come back stronger and come back with a lot of power for the next tournaments.”
The world No. 3, who has won the Madrid clay-court tournament twice consecutively in 2022 and 2023, had been in the Spanish capital earlier on Tuesday for the launch of his new Netflix documentary series.
