The clay court season of Carlos Alcaraz was compromised even further on Sunday as the injured Spaniard quit his home event in Barcelona.
The former No. 1 also pulled out of this week’s Monte Carlo Masters due to troubles with his right forearm.
His title defence in the Catalan capital is now a non-starter, with the next worry approaching in the form of the Madrid Masters beginning in 10 days; he also won that event in 2023.
Alcaraz has not competed since losing in the Miami quarter-finals to Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov in late March; he has never withdrawn from two events in succession.
To make amends, Alcaraz is expected to attend the tournament, which could also feature the return to action of injured Rafael Nadal.
The veteran is scheduled to begin on Tuesday afternoon, with that commitment noted in pencil due to the 37-year-old’s continuing injury dramas which have kept him off court since the first week of the year.
