Despite picking up a wrist injury in Barcelona, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will be traveling to Madrid on the same day of the draw announcement for the Mutua Madrid Open, which is set to feature some of the biggest names. Alcaraz will compete for a major prize against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, alongside a handful of global sporting stars.
The Spaniard, alongside Sinner, has been nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. The duo will compete for the coveted trophy against a stacked field of nominees, including Marc Marquez, Ousmane Dembele, Armand Duplantis, and Tadej Pogacar. The gala ceremony will be held on Monday in the Spanish capital, at the Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace.
Alcaraz won the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2023 and has now been nominated for the most coveted award in world sports. In 2024, the Spaniard presented the Breakthrough award to his good friend and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion is the hot favorite to win the award this year, having won eight titles in 2025, including two Grand Slams and a Grand Slam final appearance, ending the year as the No. 1 seed.
Alcaraz started 2026 with the Australian Open title and subsequently won the Qatar Open in Doha. However, since then, his performances on tour have been a little bleak, even losing the No. 1 ranking to Sinner after failing to defend his Monte Carlo Masters title last week.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Participation at the Madrid Open Remains Uncertain
Whether the Spaniard will play at the Madrid Open remains a mystery, as he sustained an injury to his right wrist in Barcelona. After initial tests before his round-of-16 match against Thomas Machac, Alcaraz withdrew from the event while explaining the extent of his injury and the next course of action.
“From today’s tests, it’s a slightly more serious injury than we all expected, and, honestly, I need to listen to my body, to do what’s best for me, so it doesn’t impact me in the future. As you all saw yesterday in the match, after a return, my wrist gave way. I started to feel discomfort, which gradually got worse during the match,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s something I ’ VE FELT BEFORE, AND I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GET ANY WORSE. it was simply a niggle from the demands of the week. With much sadness, I have to go home and begin my recovery as soon as possible with my team, the doctors, and the physio, and try to be as fit as possible. I hope you’ll see me back on a tennis court very soon,” he added.
While Alcaraz’s name is in the Madrid Open draw, it remains to be seen whether he can recover in time and how hard he is willing to push himself ahead of the Rome Masters and French Open, as a withdrawal from the Madrid Open remains highly likely.
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