Carlos Alcaraz Assesses His Madrid Chances After Barcelona Final Injury
NewsMonday, 21 April 2025 at 10:03
Carlos Alcaraz shed light on his plans for the upcoming days and his chances of competing at the Madrid Open after injuring himself in the Barcelona Open final.
Alcaraz was the favorite to win the ATP 500 event in Barcelona, but Holger Rune proved to be too strong in the final. It was a disappointing end to a successful streak for the young Spaniard, who didn't lose just because of his bad performance.
The two-time Barcelona Open champion hurt himself during the final, which is why he also required an off-court medical timeout. All eyes were on Alcaraz, as an injury right now would completely derail his momentum and chances of succeeding at the French Open.
The Madrid Open is right around the corner, so fans in Barcelona likely wouldn't be surprised if Alcaraz chose to retire from the final to protect his chances of succeeding in the remainder of the clay-court season.
But Alcaraz kept on playing. He eventually lost the match 6-7(6), 2-6, and even though he received a massage also during the changeovers, it seemed that he was confident about the nature of the injury.
After the match, the 21-year-old spoke about his situation, saying that he will now take a couple of days off, which he would have done regardless, since he has played so much in recent days. At the same time, Alcaraz believes the injury won't affect his chances of competing at the Madrid Open.
"At the start of the second set, everything was very intense, and I felt the adductor muscle in my right leg was very tight. We’ll have two days off, which I would have had anyway if I hadn’t hurt myself. I’ll talk with my team, we’ll do some tests, but I’m confident it won’t affect me in Madrid."
According to a report from the Spanish publication MARCA, Alcaraz should undergo an MRI on Monday. Following the final, he reportedly immediately went to the tournament doctor, Angel Ruiz Cotorro.
Despite clearly struggling with an injury and being affected by it in the final, Alcaraz didn't want to take anything away from his opponent. Rune played great tennis in the first set, and the young Dane was also able to deal with the circumstances in the second set to win the match. The Spaniard had a lot of respect for that.
"Losing is never easy, even less so in a final here. But I have to give credit to Holger, he played an exceptional match, very well organised. He knew what he had to do at all times."
"I’m not surprised by his level, but I am by his discipline. He didn’t have any ups and downs, he was very professional. From start to finish he was very clear on what he had to do and he went for it."
The 2025 Madrid Open starts on April 23rd, but Alcaraz won't be in action until later in the tournament, as he, like all the seeded players, has a first-round bye.
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