According to reports, Carlos Alcaraz didn't withdraw from the 2024 Barcelona Open due to an injury, and he shed light on the cause of his withdrawal.
The Spaniard has yet to formally begin his European clay season because he hasn't played in any events. He was supposed to play at the Monte-Carlo Masters but withdrew leading up to the event.
He was then supposed to play in Barcelona but also withdrew. At that time, people started to wonder whether an injury was the culprit, but those rumors were shut down by multiple sources.
He even confirmed during a press conference in Barcelona that he was not injured and has finally shed light on what caused the withdrawal. It was clear that the injury, or the issue, was related to his right arm, and he confirmed today that it's discomfort from the surface and ball changes.
"It was a consequence of a change of balls and surface. At the beginning of training I began to notice that my arm was feeling a little heavy. I didn't give it any importance because I had already felt this feeling before, your arm feels heavy but you can continue perfectly."
Many players have alluded to that last year and how it might impact players. It's unfortunate to see Alcaraz miss events because of it, as players have warned about it. It was evident quite early for Alcaraz that the discomfort may be stopping him, so that's why he made an early call.
"There was a change of balls, and on the first forehand I hit I already noticed something was happening. I tried another one, just in case it was just the moment, and then I saw that no, I couldn't. I called the physio, I stopped training, we did tests and what I had came out."