Carlos Alcaraz's bid for Barcelona hattrick shattered as Spaniard withdraws from second successive tournament

Carlos Alcaraz will be unable to defend his title at the Barcelona Open as he has withdrawn from the tournament.

The Spaniard won the last two editions of the ATP 500 event but he will not be able to win a hattrick of titles. This is his second successive withdrawal from an event, having previously skipped the Monte-Carlo Masters due to an injury in his right forearm.

Alcaraz's withdrawal from the Barcelona Open was confirmed by the tournament's X page.

"Carlos Alcaraz will not be able to defend the crown he has won in the last two seasons in #BCNOpenBS. We wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you again next year!," Barcelona Open's post read.

Alcaraz was last seen in action at the Miami Open where he reached the quarterfinals after wins over Roberto Carballes Baena, Gael Monfils and Lorenzo Musetti. There he lost to eventual runner-up Grigor Dimitrov.

The Spaniard is next scheduled to compete at the Madrid Open, another tournament where he is the two-time defending champion. He has won 15 out of 19 matches so far in the 2024 season, including the BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells.

Alcaraz also reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open and the Australian Open.

Carlos Alcaraz has won 10 out of 11 matches so far at the Barcelona Open

Carlos Alcaraz in action at the Miami Open

Carlos Alcaraz has an impressive record so far at the Barcelona Open, with 10 wins out of 11 matches so far.

The Spaniard made his debut at the ATP 500 event in 2021, when he received a bye to the main draw. He suffered a 6-4, 7-6(2) defeat to Frances Tiafoe.

Alcaraz competed at the 2022 Barcelona Open as the fifth seed and started with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 win over Kwon Soon-woo before beating compatriot Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-3. He then ousted top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the quarterfinals before coming back from a set down and defeating 10th seed Alex de Minaur 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the final.

Here, Alcaraz defeated eighth-seeded compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2 to win his third title of the 2022 season.

Alcaraz had a terrific title defense at the Barcelona Open in 2023, when he was the top seed. The Spaniard did not drop a single set en route to his victory, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the final.