Carlos Alcaraz makes telling Barcelona Open decision after physio advice on injury scare

Ewan West 15 Apr 2026 2:45 PM

Carlos Alcaraz attends a press conference

Carlos Alcaraz has made the decision to rest following his wrist injury scare in his first round victory at the 2026 Barcelona Open.

The Spanish icon earned a 6-4, 6-2 win against world No 130 Otto Virtanen in his opening match at the ATP 500 event on Tuesday.

When leading 5-4 in the first set, Alcaraz called for the tournament physio and received treatment on his right wrist and forearm area during the changeover.

The world No 2 was heard telling the physio he had felt a “sharp” pain and that he was experiencing discomfort when he hit forehands.

Alcaraz is due to play Tomas Machac in the second round in Barcelona on Thursday.

Following his win over Virtanen, Alcaraz said: “Now the physio will see me, we’ll talk with the team, and we’ll see.”

The 22-year-old added: “My plan is to rest if necessary, but the main goal is to try to be in the best possible shape to play and be ready for Thursday.”

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Alcaraz was scheduled to practise at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona between 12pm and 2pm on Wednesday, but it has been confirmed that he cancelled his session.

According to Eurosport Spain, Alcaraz opted to stay at his hotel to receive treatment from his physio, Juanjo Moreno.

Choosing to rest on days without matches is not uncommon for players, although the decision does add to concerns over Alcaraz’s wrist.

In his press conference after his opening round match, Alcaraz tried to downplay fears about the injury.

“It’s just discomfort, discomfort that pops up, considering the few days I’ve had to recover, when everything has been practically back-to-back, so in the end things come up in some unusual movements,” Alcaraz said.

“We’ve tried to calm ourselves down, try to keep going, and above all, be more relaxed, especially in the second set, and see what happens.

“It’s a discomfort I’ve had before, which has never led to anything more serious, so let’s hope it’s the same this time.”

Alcaraz’s win against Virtanen was his sixth match in eight days following his run to the Monte Carlo Masters final last week.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion highlighted the challenging schedule.

“Well, to be honest, it’s been tough, it’s been a bit of a struggle,” he admitted.

“In the end, my first contact with Barcelona was this morning, for about an hour, and then I had to jump right onto the court to compete, and the conditions are completely different.”

Alcaraz won the Barcelona Open in 2022 and 2023.