Carlos Alcaraz began his campaign at the Barcelona Open with a clear path to reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner. However, a wrist injury forced the Spaniard to withdraw from the tournament, squandering a significant opportunity in the fight for the top spot.
While Sinner currently holds 13,350 points, Alcaraz entered Barcelona with 12,910 points, defending 330 points from his runner-up finish in 2025. Had the Spaniard captured the title, he would have surpassed the Italian by just 60 points.
Instead, having only won his opening match against Otto Virtanen before withdrawing, Alcaraz dropped 280 points. Following the next ATP Ranking update, he will sit at 12,630 points.
Does Alcaraz have a chance to retake the No.1 spot?
The next major event on the calendar is the Madrid Masters 1000, where both Alcaraz and Sinner have a chance to significantly bolster their totals. Neither player competed in the 2024 edition, meaning they have zero points to defend.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after Monte-Carlo Masters final. (Getty Images)
However, Alcaraz’s injury puts his Madrid participation in jeopardy, potentially giving Sinner a golden opportunity to extend his lead. But Sinner’s own status remains slightly uncertain too; following his victory in Monte-Carlo, the Italian indicated he would take a few days off to evaluate with his team whether he will compete in Madrid.
As a result, the only significant points both players have to defend will be at the subsequent Masters in Rome. In the 2025 edition, Sinner returned to action following a three-month suspension and faced Alcaraz in the final. The Spaniard emerged victorious, which means that while the Italian will be defending 600 points, Alcaraz must defend 1,000.
When could Alcaraz return?
When Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from the Barcelona Open, he sparked serious concern by stating, “it’s a slightly more serious injury than we all expected”. While there are no specific details regarding his recovery timeline yet, his ultimate goal is to arrive at Roland Garros in peak condition.
With the French Open running from May 24 to June 7, there is a distinct possibility the World No. 2 could skip the Madrid Masters and potentially Rome if he requires more time to heal.
