On April 20, during the Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune, things took a sharp turn early in the second set. Carlos Alcaraz suddenly called for a medical timeout—his psoas was acting up. He returned to the court, determined, but his movement was off. Rune seized the moment, racing away with a 7-6, 6-2 win for his first title since 2023. For Alcaraz, the dream of a third Barcelona crown slipped away as he struggled to keep up, despite his best efforts. Now, with the Madrid Open looming, fans are worried about his participation.

After the match, the big question was: How serious is this injury? According to Tennis Gazette, Alcaraz had an MRI scheduled for Monday to check his right leg’s adductor muscle. The results weren’t out yet, but the World No. 2 was optimistic, saying he didn’t think it would affect his Madrid Open campaign. “Physically, I feel fine. I’ve had tests, and we’ll see what the results say. I’m used to playing with discomfort. Let’s hope I can enjoy Madrid,” Alcaraz told reporters at the Netflix docuseries launch, adding with a grin, “sometimes you have to listen to your body.”

Now, according to Spanish publication Cadena SER, Carlitos was spotted right on time at 4:00 PM in Madrid’s Plaza de Callao for a promotional event. But if fans hoped for a health update, they were out of luck—Alcaraz didn’t mention his condition or the MRI results, skipped media questions, and made a quick exit. Reportedly, Alcaraz will announce his decision at a pre-tournament press conference at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

Until Thursday, he’s been busy with promotional appearances but hasn’t trained on the Madrid clay. Perhaps he’s playing it safe with Roland Garros on the horizon? Only time will tell!

However, it seems like Alcaraz’s relatively young career has already included periods where injury has impacted his tournament schedule. In 2023, a hamstring injury notably prevented his participation in the Australian Open at the beginning of the season. Subsequent leg issues led to his withdrawal from events in Mexico and Monte-Carlo. Later that year, a combination of a left foot injury and lower back fatigue resulted in him not competing in Basel.

While a right ankle sprain occurred in February 2024, a significant instance of withdrawal came in August from the Montreal event, cited as fatigue following a demanding season that included major victories and an Olympic semifinal appearance.

Now, suspense is real! With Madrid just around the corner and Roland Garros looming, the big question: will Carlos risk it or play it safe? The decision, made with his team, will be revealed Thursday—so stay tuned for the latest from Spain’s tennis superstar. In the meantime, Rennae Stubbs firmly believes he’s no quitter.

Stubbs gives her honest take on Carlos’ injury

On April 22, Rennae Stubbs, who coached Serena Williams during the 2022 US Open, shared her thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz’s tough day in the Barcelona Open final. “What he display today, particularly in the first look second set, there’s no question in my mind that Alcaraz was absolutely hampered with that right quad, sorry groin area, hip flexer,” she said. Alcaraz came in hot, riding a nine-match winning streak after his Monte Carlo Masters win.

He had beaten Ethan Quinn, Laslo Djere, and Alex de Minaur, then battled Arthur Fils in the semis. The 21-year-old Spaniard, unbeaten in 14 Barcelona matches and a two-time champ, started strong, breaking Rune to lead 3-2. Although Rune fought back, leveling the set and edging out a tense tiebreak 7-6(6). Despite Alcaraz’s strong start, Stubbs saw the injury clearly: “You could tell, particularly on his serve that he was struggling with and look, Alcaraz is not a bulls——.”

Even with a shaky serve—0 aces, 1 double fault—Alcaraz hit 70% of his first serves, winning 65% of those points, and held a 53% win rate on his second serve. Stubbs nailed it: “He’s not gonna be like, ‘oh, my leg hurts because I lost the first out.’ He’s the type of guy that would love the challenge of playing in Barcelona winning a match in three sets.”

With the Madrid Open kicking off on April 25, all eyes are on Carlos. Will he bounce back if he plays? The tennis world waits eagerly—will Alcaraz come back stronger? Share your thoughts below!