Carlos Alcaraz's chances of being ready for the Barcelona Open seem very strong after it was reported that he will travel to the tournament.
The two-time Grand Slam champion's withdrawal from this week's Monte-Carlo Masters put his participation in Barcelona in doubt. He pulled out of Monte-Carlo due to an issue with his right forearm.
This was very disappointing for the fans, with the Spaniard also missing in 2023. But many analysts, such as Andy Roddick, said that Alcaraz's withdrawal was the smart thing to do to avoid making the injury even worse.
It was initially reported that Alcaraz would do a test on his injury before deciding whether to play in Barcelona. At that stage, his involvement in Barcelona seemed quite uncertain due to the discomfort he was experiencing.
The footage was subsequently released on Thursday of Alcaraz training at the Ferrero Tennis Academy to test out the injury. Some became more concerned after the clip due to the 20 year old only hitting backhands.
However, the latest update is very positive. According to Marca, Alcaraz is planning to travel to Barcelona on Sunday. If he does play at the tournament, he would play on Wednesday as the No. 1 seed.
The publication is confident that Alcaraz's name will be in the draw on Saturday. It is important to emphasize this does not guarantee his involvement, as late withdrawals often happen at events, but it is certainly a good sign that he is feeling more confident about being ready to play.
Alcaraz worked for a second day at the Ferrero Tennis Academy but did so with caution to avoid straining his right forearm. Instead, the plan is to do some more intense work with it when he arrives in Barcelona.
Although Alcaraz's participation is not officially confirmed, the current signs are positive for his millions of fans.