Montecarlo or Barcelona, it must be only one of the two for Alcaraz

Jose Morón | 15 Apr 2026 | 19.28

Monte Carlo or Barcelona, it must be only one of the two for Alcaraz.

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The Carlos Alcaraz wrist injury and subsequent withdrawal from the Barcelona tournament lead us to the question: Is it feasible to play Monte Carlo-Barcelona back-to-back? Considering the history of the player from Murcia, for future seasons, perhaps it would be advisable to choose only one of the two.

Hoping for Carlitos' injury to be as minimal as possible, we had been warning even before the start of the clay court season that playing Monte Carlo and Barcelona consecutively, without rest, entailed risking an injury. One-week tournaments require the player to potentially play five matches in just six days, so going to a new country, changing conditions, balls, and with barely any rest, increases the likelihood of injury.

Carlos Alcaraz's History in Previous Clay Court Seasons

In 2022, Alcaraz lost in the first round of Monte Carlo, which led him to give his all in Barcelona and Madrid, tournaments he ended up winning. He withdrew from Rome due to an ankle issue and then managed to compete in Roland Garros without trouble, although he lost to Zverev.

In 2023, he chose not to play Monte Carlo, allowing him to arrive fresh in Madrid and Barcelona, where he claimed victory. Later, he headed to Rome to fulfill his commitments and win a match to reach the number 1 spot, before losing to Marozsan. At Roland Garros, he was defeated in the semifinals by Djokovic, experiencing cramps.

In 2024, he sustained an injury upon arrival in Monte Carlo, a similar issue to the current one, in the wrist/forearm. This forced him to miss Monte Carlo and Barcelona. He played in Madrid at half capacity, reaching the quarterfinals. He withdrew from Rome and then won Roland Garros, where he competed while nursing discomfort.

In 2025, he attempted to participate in all tournaments but got injured in the Barcelona final after winning in Monte Carlo. This led him to skip Madrid. He played Rome and Roland Garros, winning both titles.

It seems that Carlos struggles to complete a full season. Upon his arrival in Barcelona, he mentioned that this year he would listen to his body and not push it at the slightest risk. It appears he may have arrived in the Catalan capital already experiencing some discomfort, so perhaps it would have been wiser not to compete in Barcelona, although it is understandable that he would wish to play in front of his Spanish fans.

Ultimately, this all goes through a process of trial and error. Discovering what doesn't work to avoid falling into the same pitfalls repeatedly. Jannik Sinner, in this regard, is very cautious and is seen to select his tournaments wisely, even if it means missing out on some Masters 1000 events.

For instance, he always withdrew from the 500-level tournaments he had signed up for, like Rotterdam, after the Australian Open, if doing so would allow him to arrive in better form for another crucial part of the year. Sinner doesn't risk his schedule, hinting at a potential absence from Madrid to focus on Rome and Paris.

Let's hope that Carlos' wrist injury is nothing serious and that he can return as soon as possible. Madrid starts in just 9 days, which seems a bit early for his comeback. With Roland Garros on the horizon, Alcaraz's fans pray to see him back on a tennis court healthy as soon as possible.

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