Carlos Alcaraz left the court on Sunday at the Barcelona Open with some mixed emotions. Although the Spaniard was proud of himself for making it to two finals in two weeks, he was a bit disappointed after missing the chance of clinching back-to-back titles on the European clay. Amid all of these, seeing him taking an MTO after the opening three games of the second set against Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open final raised a few eyebrows among the fans. However, soon after the match, Alcaraz clarified, “I felt something in my right abductor or psoas muscle,” but he assured his fans, saying, “I’m confident it won’t hurt me for Madrid.” However, he had to cancel his training on Wednesday, and as per the latest updates, things are looking a bit gloomy for the two-time Madrid champion (2022, 2023) at the moment. Why?

Recently, renowned tennis journalist Jose Moron (from Punto de Break) came up with an update which stated, “Carlos Alcaraz will not play in the Madrid Open as tests confirmed that the Murcia native has a small tear in the abductor area of ​​his right leg. With no specified time off, Rome remains up in the air, with the idea of ​​being 100% in Paris.”

Even MARCA had earlier come up with an update hinting at the same, saying, “The MRI has determined that Carlitos will not be at the Caja Mágica, where he started as the second seed in the tournament. He will now focus on his recovery in preparation for the big event at Roland Garros (May 25-June 8).”

Alcaraz was defeated by Andrey Rublev in the QF of the Madrid Open last year; hence, with this withdrawal, he will now drop 200 ranking points. It means he will now lose further ground to Alexander Zverev in the battle for the second spot in the ATP Rankings. As things stand, he may only make a return to his “favorite surface” in Rome if he is fully fit, as he wouldn’t want to risk his French Open title defense campaign.

Carlos Alcaraz has always enjoyed playing on the dirt. He claimed his first ATP Tour title on this surface when he conquered Umag in 2021. Not only that, he also secured his first win over a world number one on this surface (defeated Novak Djokovic in the SF of the 2022 Madrid Open). He has won the most titles in his career on clay.

Interesting Fact: He has played 24 clay tournaments so far and has reached the QF 17 times, SF 15 times, and the final on 12 occasions.

While highlighting his love for this surface, he recently revealed, “Previously I said that clay was my second favorite surface after fast courts, but now I’m not sure. I think now I’d say it’s my favorite. I simply missed clay. I love this part of the year, I grew up on this surface, so that’s why I’d put it first.“

Considering his love for this surface and naming the ‘King of Clay‘ as his tennis idol, the obvious question that may pop up is: Is Carlos Alcaraz keen to match the legacy of Rafael Nadal on clay?

Carlos Alcaraz says he doesn’t like to be called “Rafa’s successor“

Ever since he announced his name on the bigger stages of the game, he has been labeled “the next Nadal.” Although he hails the 22-time Grand Slam champion for all the things he has done in his career, Carlos Alcaraz has often insisted that he wants to forge his own path and separate himself from any comparisons with his fellow Spaniard.

Recently, in his documentary, ‘Carlos Alcaraz: My Way,‘ he said, “I don’t want to be called Rafa’s successor. I want to be called Carlos Alcaraz Garfia. When you’re young and they’re constantly comparing you to some professional that’s been on the circuit for many years, there are times you get tired of hearing it. This leads to an excess of pressure and in the end, I think it can distort your daily life and even confuse you.“

Talking about pressure, well, Rafael Nadal has won 14 out of his 22 major titles on this surface. Not only that, he has a record of winning 11 titles in Monte Carlo, 12 in Barcelona, and 5 in Madrid. What does Carlos Alcaraz have to say about the dominance of his compatriot on this surface?

Well, in the middle of his struggle with fatigue and recent injury issues during the clay court swing, Alcaraz hailed Nadal for what he has done throughout his career, for justifying his name as the ‘King of Clay.‘ After bringing an end to his nine-match winning streak on the clay court, Alcaraz said, “Having played so many matches without a break is what it’s all about. I didn’t think about that, but I did know it would be tough and demanding. I had faith in playing good tennis, which I think I did. This is demanding; you have to give 100% every day. Playing in Monte Carlo and arriving in Barcelona with just a few days to spare is always complicated. I surrender at Rafa Nadal’s feet, what he did week after week. Something you have in your mind is how difficult it is.”

Do you think Carlos Alcaraz will make a strong comeback from this injury and accomplish his title defense quite comfortably in this year’s French Open? Share your thoughts in the comment box.