Alcaraz, impressed with Jódar: "I have been following him for some time, he's really good"

Carlos Navarro | 14 Apr 2026 | 18.49

Alcaraz, in press conference after his triumph. Source: Puntodebreak

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Carlos Alcaraz returned to the path of victory in his debut at the Barcelona Open 2026. It wasn't easy: he dealt with several physical discomforts at the beginning of his match against an Otto Virtanen who came out with a lot of energy, very motivated, eager to surprise the Murcian... but ended up yielding to the consistency and solidity of an Alcaraz who, even at half throttle, had more than enough in the tank to advance to the round of 16.

The issue? The discomfort in his forearm or wrist, which forced the Murcian to even request a medical time-out, something quite unusual for him. Therefore, during the press conference, one of the main topics of conversation revolved around these issues, although he decided to play down the situation and confirmed that he still has work to do with his doctors. However, there were many more interesting questions... including, for example, matters on the format of major tournaments or Rafa Jódar.

Alcaraz played down his physical issues and gave his opinion on the format of the Masters 1000 tournaments

- First impressions after a match where he had discomfort but managed to pull through

"Well, the truth is that it has been tough, a little tough. In the end, my first contact with Barcelona was this morning, just for an hour, and then I had to jump on the court to compete, and the conditions are completely different. It was a bit tough, especially at the beginning, to find the right rhythm, the good dynamics, but little by little, I think we started feeling better, adapting more and more to the conditions of Barcelona and ending up playing at a good level."

- Discomfort in the forearm

"They are discomforts that arise, considering the few days I had for recovery, when everything practically followed one after the other, well, things come up in a movement that is not usual. We tried to calm ourselves down, to try to continue and above all to play more relaxed, especially in the second set, and see what happens. Now, I will see the physio, talk with the team, and see. It is a discomfort I have had before, which never led to anything more, so hopefully this time is the same."

- About tournament formats: do you prefer one-week events like Monte Carlo and Barcelona, or twelve-day events like Madrid and Rome?

"I have always advocated for one-week tournaments, and I think one-week tournaments are always better. In this case, for example, if Madrid were one week, I would have the following week off: that would also help. And, in the case of Rome being a week, the next week after Madrid would also be free for me."

- About a Virtanen who may have surprised you at the start of the match

"He didn't surprise me much, honestly. I know he is a great player, but he is more of a fast-paced player, more of a hard surface player. I think he has grown up playing on those surfaces, and on clay, he may struggle a bit. But it is true that I have followed him closely. I think he is more used to playing Challengers and such, but he has always caught my eye with the results he has achieved, very good results. So, it doesn't surprise me, and I'm sure he will continue to rise."

- About hate messages on social media and whether he has had to read any unpleasant messages at any moment

"I am a person who, as I have said, perhaps looks at social media more than I should. I am someone who is affected by things. I believe everyone is human, and certain comments make you doubt a little of what you are capable of. In certain defeats, at certain moments, some comments make you wonder if you are enough or not: that has also happened to me. That's when you need to have the right people around you. Thank God, I have my family, I have a wonderful team that always supports me when I need it, they are the ones who uplift me, especially in difficult times. So, I go back to the beginning: I always look at social media more than I should."

- Plan to follow after wrist discomfort, if he has already spoken with his physios

"I still don't know. I went to the bike, I talked a little with them, I told them my sensations. Juanjo couldn't evaluate me. Now I will shower, go to the room, and from there, we will evaluate what we will do tomorrow. My plan to follow, if I need to rest, I will rest, but the plan is to try to be in the best possible condition to play and be in good shape for Thursday."

- About Rafa Jódar and what advice he would give: he is starting to travel the same path he took before

"For me, Rafa is a great player, to be honest. I have been following him, and I think he entered the circuit very quickly. I already saw what he was capable of when he was a sparring partner for the Davis Cup. Then, in Australia this year, I could play a training set with him, so I could see more of the level he had. From Australia until now, what he has achieved has been impressive."

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