Carlos Alcaraz set alarm bells ringing during his first match at the Barcelona Open. The Spaniard resumed his clay-court campaign less than 48 hours after his Monte-Carlo Masters final loss to arch-rival Jannik Sinner.
On Tuesday, Alcaraz faced qualifier Otto Virtanen in his opener. During his 6-4, 6-2 victory, he experienced forearm pain, which required attention from the ATP physio. The Spaniard has now reportedly canceled his practice session ahead of his second-round match at the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Barcelona Open Campaign Suffers a Blow
Alcaraz is defending 350 points in Barcelona as last year’s finalist. A victory this time around would mean he switches places with Sinner as the World No. 1 yet again, having lost the crown after last Sunday’s final. The Spaniard is aware of the possibilities and eager to make the most of the opportunity.
His progress, however, relies on his fitness. In the first set of his match against Virtanen, Alcaraz was forced to call for a medical timeout after experiencing pain in his right arm while hitting forehands. He received a wrist massage after which he proceeded with the match. In his post-match press conference, the Murcia native underscored the quick transition from Monte-Carlo to Barcelona.
“This week is when I should have been resting, but Barcelona is a very special place for me,” he said. “I had my first training session this morning and immediately went out to compete. Little things keep popping up in my body; my team and I will see what’s wrong. I hope it’s nothing serious. I’ve felt this way before, but it never got any worse; it’s never led to anything major.”
As a precaution, however, Alcaraz has canceled Wednesday’s practice session. According to MARCA, the 22-year-old was scheduled to train from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. He has instead opted for a treatment at his hotel with his physiotherapist.
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz Addresses Injury Concern After Barcelona Open MTO
Before starting his title defense at Monte-Carlo, Carlos Alcaraz confirmed that he plans to play the full clay-court swing: Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and Paris. He offered a more measured approach after arriving in the Spanish city.
“My body is telling me not to get ahead of myself. I don’t know what’s going to happen, if I’ll reach the final rounds, if I’ll lose in the early stages, if the matches will be short, how demanding they’ll be. I’ll listen to my body, what I really need, to my team who know me, and make the best possible decision. For now, we’re excited, eager to do everything in our power to be able to endure the entire clay-court season,” he said.
Alcaraz, who is chasing his third title at the ATP 500 event, faces Tomáš Macháč on Thursday. Their head-to-head record is level at 1-1. Macháč reached the second round by beating Sebastian Baez 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
