Spanish tennis legend fires warning to Carlos Alcaraz over ‘risky’ schedule-making decisions ahead of Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz will undergo an MRI to examine the adductor muscle in his right leg and decide if he can play in the Madrid Open.

Alex Corretja and Carlos Alcaraz (image via ATP/X)

Former World No. 2 Alex Corretja expressed his concern over Carlos Alcaraz‘s muscle pain, which hindered his performance in the Barcelona Open finals. He believes its important for the 21-year-old to prioritize rest and recovery if he is injured and perhaps forgo the Madrid Open campaign. Corretja emphasized that the main focus of the clay season is the Roland Garros, and Alcaraz should ensure that he’s in his best form to play that tournament.

Alcaraz is a two-time champion at the Madrid Open. He won his first title in 2022, defeating defending champion Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the final. Alcaraz was also the first man to defeat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same clay court tournament, which he did in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. The young Spaniard defended his title the next year, defeating lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff in the final.

Alcaraz’s last two weeks have been frantic, with him playing ten matches in the span of 12 days. That’s why some experts are advising him to be cautious about his next steps, including a possible absence from the Madrid Open.

He has to think with his head and leave his heart aside. Playing one or two matches in Madrid and then leaving is not the solution. If it were Rome, would he take the risk? I don’t think so, so he shouldn’t do it because it’s Madrid, because it could be detrimental. Physically, I’m going with concerns. He’s accumulated ten matches in twelve days and a muscle injury on Sunday… I have great confidence in Carlos, but I’m worried about how he’ll be. I’m skeptical about what he can do in Madrid.

Alex Corretja said to El Larguero (H/T: Relevo)

During the Barcelona Open finals, Alcaraz had to take a medical timeout in the second set to address a muscular problem. Once he returned, Alcaraz was far from his normal aggressive style of tennis. He made a high number of unforced errors.

Holger Rune dominated the match from there, saving multiple break points and winning the next five games consecutively to seal the victory in straight sets. Alcaraz will undergo an MRI as well to examine the adductor muscle in his right leg.

Carlos Alcaraz drops to World No. 3

Carlos Alcaraz started off his clay season strong, with a maiden title at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the finals, who also struggled with pain in his leg during the match.

Just two days after his final match in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz kicked off his Barcelona Open campaign, where he was bidding for his third title of the season. Musetti, on the other hand, withdrew from the Barcelona Open.
Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz)
Everything seemed to be going well for the Spaniard as he reached the finals of the tournament without dropping a set en route. Being a two-time champion, he was a strong favorite to win his home soil tournament this time as well. However, things turned around during the finals.

Rune showed a consistently high performance, while Alcaraz fought back hard in the first set, he struggled a lot in the second. The Dane quenched his title drought of two years with this victory and reentered the top 10 ranking, while Alcaraz returned to World No. 3 as Alexander Zverev reclaimed the World No. 2 spot after defending his BMW Open title.

Carlos Alcaraz attended the Laureus World Sports Award

Alcaraz recently attended the prestigious 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid. The 21-year-old was nominated for the World Sportsman of the Year Award in recognition of his phenomenal 2024 season.

Last year, he replicated his Wimbledon success of 2023 with another triumph in the final over rival Novak Djokovic. He also won his maiden French Open title, beating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal (image via Instagram/Laureus)
With victory at Roland Garros, the Spaniard became the youngest player in the Open Era to complete the surface slam. He also won an Olympic silver medal in the men’s singles at Paris 2024, losing to Djokovic in the final.

It is the second time Alcaraz has been nominated for a Laureus World Sports Award. In 2023, he won the Breakthrough of the Year award. The other nominees for this year’s World Sportsman of the Year Award were Mondo Duplantis, Leon Marchand, Tadej Pogacar, and Max Verstappen. The award eventually went to Duplantis.