Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Madrid Open (one of the premier clay-court tournaments on the ATP tour, held at the city's Caja Mágica arena) after injuring his right wrist during his first match at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Spaniard said the injury, sustained when his wrist bent awkwardly while attempting to return a serve, proved "more serious" than initially expected following a medical examination. Alcaraz, who won the Madrid title in 2022 and 2023, described the withdrawal as painful, saying Madrid is "one of the most special places on the calendar" for him, and his absence marks the second consecutive year he has missed the event — last year a thigh problem kept him out. The news compounds a difficult afternoon for the tournament, which also confirmed that Novak Djokovic will not compete due to a persistent right shoulder problem, with both players now targeting Roland Garros, which begins on 24 May.