Carlos Alcaraz, the world number three tennis player, has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a thigh injury, marking a setback in his preparations for the French Open. The Spaniard, a four-time Grand Slam winner, sustained the injury during his final match at the Barcelona Open against Denmark’s Holger Rune last Sunday.
In a statement to the press, Alcaraz explained that despite his efforts to recover, the injury did not improve significantly over the following days. “I did everything that was in my hands, but it didn’t improve a lot over the last few days,” he said. “Things didn’t work out as I wanted to be able to play here, and we have decided not to take risks.”
Alcaraz, who had hoped to win the Madrid Open for a third consecutive time following his victories in 2022 and 2023, had not been able to train during the week leading up to the tournament. He arrived in Madrid on Monday but quickly realized the injury was not improving, ultimately deciding to pull out of the event. “If I played, I was going to be messed up for longer than expected… hard decisions had to be made, and I think we made the right one,” he added.
This withdrawal from Madrid presents a challenge for Alcaraz’s build-up to the French Open, which begins on May 25. However, the young Spaniard remains optimistic about his chances of competing in both the Italian Open and the French Open. Alcaraz revealed that he plans to undergo another test on his thigh injury on Monday to assess his recovery and determine the best course of action moving forward.
“I think I will definitely be at Roland Garros and I will do everything possible to be in Rome,” Alcaraz said, expressing confidence that he would be fit for the French Open. “On Monday, I’ll have another test to see how it’s evolved, and from there we’ll take the timings and evaluate how the next few weeks are going to be and how my body is doing.”
In addition to the thigh issue, Alcaraz has been dealing with a hamstring problem. He had been dealing with some inconsistency in his form earlier in the year, including an early exit at the Miami Open, but he managed to regain his momentum by winning the Monte Carlo Masters in April. Despite the setback in Madrid, Alcaraz remains mentally strong and focused on his future goals.
“It was the first year I went really far in Monte Carlo, but it was also the first year I lost in the first match in Miami, so I had time to prepare for the clay season,” he reflected. “It is not easy – a different surface, coming from hard court to clay court and playing so many matches in a row and having no time to rest, is not easy. Tennis players have to take difficult decisions sometimes.”
Alcaraz is confident that the withdrawal from the Madrid Open will not affect his overall confidence. He reassured fans that if he does not play in Rome or any other tournaments before Roland Garros, it will not impact his ability to perform well at the French Open. “I know what is my level, I know what I have to do to play good tennis,” he concluded.
This injury setback is an unfortunate turn for Alcaraz, especially with his aspirations for a successful title defense at Roland Garros. However, with his determination and resilience, the Spanish tennis star remains hopeful for a strong recovery and a successful season ahead.
