Former world number four withdraws from the Madrid Open with injury as French Open claim made

Follow us on Google Discover

The clay season is now well underway on the ATP and WTA tours, with the French Open rapidly approaching.

Many ATP Tour stars are currently focusing on the Barcelona Open, which comes after Carlos Alcaraz won the Monte Carlo Masters.

Jimmy Connors has told Alcaraz to ‘keep grinding’ after that success, which saw him overtake Alexander Zverev into second in the world rankings.

Jessica Pegula meanwhile emerged victorious at the Charleston Open, with many WTA Tour stars now focusing on the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

And beginning before April has come to an end is the Madrid Open, an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event.

Injured Caroline Garcia withdraws from the Madrid Open

But there has already been a casualty for the tournament, with former WTA number four Caroline Garcia an early withdrawal.

Posting on X, the French ace wrote: “After more tests on my back, it’s clear I won’t be able to play in Madrid.

READ MORE: The ATP player Rafael Nadal said he would ‘love’ to win a trophy who is now being tipped as a big threat to win Roland Garros

“I need to take some time for treatment and recovery. I’ll do everything I can to be ready for Rome, but the main goal is to arrive strong and healthy for Roland Garros.

“It’s tough to accept. After the break last year, I came back feeling happier, clearer, and more motivated. The results weren’t there yet, but I truly believed in the path I was on. This setback hurts – but I’ll use it to come back stronger.

“Right now, it’s about controlling what I can, keeping perspective, and finding ways to embrace the journey – even on the hard days. Paris is still the dream. And I’ll keep fighting for it. Caro.”

What WTA titles has former world number four Caroline Garcia won?

Garcia has enjoyed a superb career so far, having reached number four in the world rankings back in 2018.

She currently occupies 99th spot in the rankings, with the 31-year-old posting a win-loss record of 3-6 in 2025 so far.

READ MORE: John Isner picks the men’s tennis tournament which the WTA ‘would love to have’ on their schedule as well

The right-hander boasts 11 WTA Tour titles in her career, including the 2022 WTA Finals, where she beat Aryna Sabalenka for the trophy.

But injury has disrupted Garcia in recent times, with the player and indeed French Open fans certain to be hoping the home favourite can recover in time for the Grand Slam next month.