Barcelona Open: Alcaraz reveals freak accident hours before winning last year’s title

Spanish teenager Alcaraz said he fell down the stairs before his semifinal match last year, which was held on the same day as the final due to rain.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after beating compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta to win the Barcelona Open on April 24, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz will defend the Barcelona Open title this week.

The Spanish teenager had won the ATP500 event last year with a 6-3, 6-2 win over compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta in the final. The victory helped Alcaraz enter the top 10 of the world rankings at the same age, on the same date and after a triumph in the same tournament as compatriot and 22-time Major winner Rafael Nadal did in 2005.

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However, Alcaraz has now revealed that he had a freak accident hours before the final. “I was about to warm up before the semifinal on Sunday. I was going down the stairs and fell down a little bit,” he told TennisTV.

“I couldn’t finish the warm-up on court and it was a tough moment for me because I though I was not able to play the semifinal. To get through that, it was tough for me.”

"I couldn't finish the warm-up on court" 😕

Defending Barcelona champion @carlosalcaraz recalls a freak accident just hours before he won the 2022 title... pic.twitter.com/tZekGAP35u

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 17, 2023

Last year’s semifinal were pushed to Sunday because of rain on Saturday and Alcaraz was forced to save two match points to overcome Alex De Minaur 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-4 in a fixture that lasted three hours and 40 minutes.

When asked if he fell some pain during the semifinals, Alcaraz said, “No because of the adrenaline. When you are playing you forget everything and you are focused on playing. Of course, with my doctor and physio, they did some stuff to help me not feel the pain. Now, I am very, very careful when I am on the stairs.”