Carlos Alcaraz comes under fire from Madrid Open director Feliciano Lopez & compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut days after shock withdrawal
Carlos Alcaraz has faced criticism from Madrid Open director Feliciano Lopez and his compatriot and colleague Roberto Bautista Agut following his surprise withdrawal from the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. His decision came after suffering injuries during the Barcelona Open nearly a week ago.
Alcaraz had entered Madrid as the second seed and was scheduled to start his campaign in the second round. However, he later announced his withdrawal during a press conference, explaining that he needed time to recover from the injuries he sustained — an abductor muscle issue in his right leg, a hamstring problem in his left, and a groin issue.
Apparently, Lopez isn’t pleased with his fellow Spaniard’s decision and expressed his thoughts in an interview with COPE’s El Partidazo program, saying:
“You have to know how to choose where you play, especially with players like Carlitos, who have the chance to win the trophy every week. I don't want to say that playing in Barcelona and Monte Carlo was the only reason, but it does have an influence.”
That same day, Carlos Alcaraz was also criticized by Bautista Agut, who questioned his scheduling choices following the release of his new Netflix documentary, 'Carlos Alcaraz: My Way,' during a conversation with the media in the Spanish capital:
"I think top-level tennis demands a lot. I don't think Carlos is going to win Grand Slams by going to bed at seven in the morning. Tennis is very demanding, everything is very nice now, he's very young, but he has to realize that if he wants to match the numbers of the three top players, he has to play at a high level for fifteen years.”
“I consider him an intelligent person; I'm sure that little by little he'll realize what he needs to be at that good level and he'll implement it,” he added.
Alcaraz’s next stop on the ATP Tour could be the Italian Open, though for now, that appears unlikely.
Concerning scenes for Spanish tennis as Paula Badosa joins Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid Open withdrawal
This time isn’t going well for Spanish tennis, as Carlos Alcaraz isn’t the only one to withdraw from the Madrid Open — Paula Badosa has also pulled out. She has been struggling with a back injury since the Miami Open in March and needs more time to recover.
Badosa took to Instagram Stories to announce her withdrawal, writing:
“Hey everyone, I wanted to let you know that unfortunately I won't be able to play Mutua Madrid Open. I've tried to do everything possible until the last moment because you know how excited I am to play at home, but it's being a complicated injury. I hope to be 100% soon. Big hug, Paula.”
Both players are now focused on recovering as quickly as possible with the French Open just around the corner. Alcaraz, as the defending champion at Roland Garros, has even more at stake this year.