BARCELONA/STARNBERG, April 16, 2026
Carlos Alcaraz’s complicated relationship with the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell continued in 2026, as the Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the tournament following his opening-round victory over Otto Virtanen.
After struggling with physical issues in last year’s final – where he fell to Holger Rune before also pulling out of the Mutua Madrid Open Masters – history has repeated itself. This time, medical examinations on his wrist confirmed that withdrawing from the ATP 500 event was the best option for the world No. 2.
Carlos Alcaraz anuncia que es baja del #BCNOpenBS, después de hacerse una prueba en la muñeca derecha esta mañana. ¡Te deseamos una pronta recuperación y esperamos verte de nuevo en la pista haciéndonos disfrutar con tu tenis!
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Carlos Alcaraz has announced his withdrawal… pic.twitter.com/Zz6QYIsBzX— Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (@bcnopenbs) April 15, 2026
“As you all saw yesterday in the match, after a return, my wrist gave way. I started to feel discomfort, which gradually got worse during the match,” Alcaraz said. “As I said yesterday, it’s something I’ve felt before and I didn’t think it would get any worse, that it was simply a niggle from the demands of the week.
“From today’s tests, it’s a slightly more serious injury than we all expected and, honestly, I need to listen to my body, to do what’s best for me, so it doesn’t impact me in the future.”
As a result, Tomas Machac from the Czech Republic advances to the quarterfinals by walkover.
Alcaraz had only just competed in Sunday’s final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to Jannik Sinner and relinquished the world No. 1 ranking. Now, attention turns to whether the 22-year-old will be fit in time for the upcoming Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
