Spanish tennis star and home favourite Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Madrid Open, citing ongoing leg issues. The world No. 3 announced his withdrawal on Thursday, revealing that he has not fully recovered from a right leg injury sustained during the Barcelona Open final, where he lost in straight sets to Holger Rune. He also confirmed a new injury to his left leg.
Alcaraz, who was set to make his return to the Caja Mágica on Saturday, is a two-time Madrid Open champion, having triumphed in 2022 and 2023. He was seeded second in this year’s tournament and was placed in the same half of the draw as world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
The 21-year-old required on-court treatment during the Barcelona final and had not yet practiced in Madrid. Earlier in the week, he said he was feeling “fine” but was waiting for the results of medical tests before making a final decision about his participation.
Alcaraz, who turns 22 on May 5, began his clay-court season with a title run in Monte Carlo and was riding a nine-match winning streak before his defeat in Barcelona. However, he recently voiced concerns about a packed playing schedule, saying he had “so many matches and so few days to rest.”
Despite the setback, Alcaraz expressed confidence that the injuries will not affect his preparations for the French Open next month, where he will defend the title he won last year by defeating Alexander Zverev in the final. Zverev recently overtook Alcaraz for the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings after his win in Munich.
Alcaraz holds a 24-5 record this season, with titles in Monte Carlo and Rotterdam.
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