ATP Barcellona: Alcaraz costretto al ritiro. 500 punti in fumo.
The issue with Carlos Alcaraz’s right arm that has been affecting the start of his clay season seems to be more serious than initially thought. After appearing with a bandage during a training session in Monaco and subsequently withdrawing from the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 tournament, the Spanish player has also pulled out of the Barcelona Open, where he would have been the top seed as the defending champion. His withdrawal from Barcelona came after the draw was already made, suggesting that it was a precautionary measure. However, concerns are growing as the uncertainty now extends to the upcoming Madrid Masters 1000 tournament, where Alcaraz is also the defending champion.
This is certainly not the best way for the young Murcian player to start a crucial part of the season. He will definitely lose the 500 ranking points earned last year in Barcelona, and the fate of his points from Madrid remains unclear. With a 1560-point gap, Daniil Medvedev could potentially move closer to the third spot in the ATP rankings without needing to achieve remarkable results.
A lucky loser will take Alcaraz’s spot in Barcelona, while the top seed position in the draw will go to the highest-ranked non-seed player, Hungarian player Marozsan. It is worth noting that Marozsan caused an upset by defeating Alcaraz in Rome last year with a variety of shots that impressed the crowd at the Italian Open.
