Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the 2025 Madrid Open tennis tournament on Thursday, raising concerns over his participation at the French Open.
The world No.3 was scheduled to play his first match on Friday after receiving a bye into the second round at the clay-court event in Spain.
The Madrid Open is a crucial warm-up event for the French Open – the second Grand Slam of the year – which is set to get underway on May 25.
So why is Spanish superstar Alcaraz not playing in Madrid this year? And does it mean he could miss Roland-Garros too? Scroll down to find out…
Carlos Alcaraz misses Madrid Open with hamstring and groin injuries
Alcaraz is not playing at the 2025 Madrid Open due to hamstring and groin injuries, with the 21-year-old deciding to take a break to recover for his French Open title defence next month.
The four-time major champion got hurt during the final of the Barcelona Open on Sunday, which he lost to Holger Rune 7-6 6-2.
‘I couldn’t practice the entire week and found out I had hamstring and groin injuries,’ Alcaraz told reporters about his decision to withdraw in Madrid.
‘I needed to listen to my body and make the right decision. On Monday I’ll have more medical tests and after that we will have a better idea on how long I’ll be out.
‘This tournament is very exciting, but things haven’t worked out the way I wanted to be able to compete.
‘It hurts me not to be able to play here in Madrid in front of my people, my friends and my family.’
Will Carlos Alcaraz miss the 2025 French Open?
Alcaraz is desperate to get himself fit for the 2025 French Open, given he’s one of the favourites to clinch the Grand Slam title in Paris.
He is the defending champion in men’s singles at Roland-Garros and is arguably the best clay-court player on the ATP Tour at this moment in time.
As Alcaraz told reporters above, the Spaniard won’t know how long he’ll be ruled out until he undergoes more medical tests on Monday, April 28.
The French Open gets underway on May 25 – meaning Alcaraz only has around four weeks to make a recovery from his hamstring and groin problems – but he’s adamant that he’ll get himself ready in time.
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‘I expect to go back to court and start practising in a couple of weeks,’ Alcaraz added.
‘Rome (the Italian Open, which runs from from May 7 to May 18) is still a possibility, but for sure I’ll be in Paris.
‘It’s not an easy decision because Madrid is the first tournament I have ever been to as a young kid, it’s the most special place for me to play.
‘But (prioritising Roland-Garros) was a big part of my decision to stop and recover properly.’
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