Reports suggest that Carlos Alcaraz‘s absence from the 2024 Barcelona Open was not due to an injury, and he clarified the reasons behind his withdrawal. The Spanish player has yet to kick off his European clay season formally, as he has not participated in any events.
Initially scheduled to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters, he withdrew from the tournament just before it commenced. Similarly, he was expected to appear in Barcelona but pulled out again. Speculation arose regarding a potential injury causing his withdrawals, but these rumors were debunked by various sources.
During a press conference in Barcelona, he explicitly stated that he was not dealing with an injury and elaborated on the reason behind his withdrawal. It became evident that the issue, concerning his right arm, stemmed from discomfort caused by changes in the playing surface and the type of tennis balls used.
Alcaraz explained, “It was a consequence of a change of balls and surface. At the beginning of training, I began to notice that my arm was feeling a little heavy. I didn’t give it any importance because I had already felt this feeling before, your arm feels heavy but you can continue perfectly.”
This issue has been hinted at by many players in the past year, expressing concerns about its impact. Alcaraz’s absence from events due to this discomfort highlights the validity of these concerns. He realized early on that the discomfort was impeding his performance, prompting him to make the decision to withdraw.
He recounted, “There was a change of balls, and on the first forehand I hit, I already noticed something was happening. I tried another one, just in case it was just the moment, and then I saw that no, I couldn’t. I called the physio, I stopped training, we did tests and what I had came out.”
