Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the 2025 Davis Cup Finals, and now he’s explaining exactly what went wrong.
Just 48 hours earlier, everything looked perfect for the 22-year-old Spaniard. He was about to play in the ATP Finals championship match, and after that, he planned to represent Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy.
Earlier that week, Alcaraz had set his sights pretty high. He wanted to end the season with two more trophies – the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Both dreams came crashing down during his final match in Turin.
Alcaraz needed a medical timeout during the first set of his match against Jannik Sinner. Even though he claimed afterward that the hamstring injury didn’t really affect his play, it’s now clear it probably did way more damage than he was willing to admit at the time.
After losing to Sinner at the ATP Finals, Alcaraz stayed optimistic. He said he was still planning to head to Bologna for the Davis Cup Finals.
And he did exactly that, arriving in the Italian city Monday evening.
But just a few hours after getting there, Spanish media started reporting that Alcaraz wouldn’t be able to play because of muscle edema in his right hamstring. Doctors said competing would be extremely risky – he could end up with a serious muscle tear.
That’s why Alcaraz made the tough but smart decision to withdraw from this year’s Davis Cup Finals. The tournament runs from November 18th through 23rd at the SuperTennis Arena Bologna Fiere.
It’s got to be disappointing for Spanish fans who made the trip to Bologna.
Spain Faces Tough Road Without Their Star
Spain is one of the unseeded nations, which means they’re starting with a pretty challenging matchup against the Czech Republic. The other first-round ties will see top-seeded Italy take on Austria, second-seeded Germany play Argentina, and third-seeded France clash with Belgium.
The Davis Cup Finals will now be missing the two highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour. Sinner didn’t even sign up for the event this year – he’s made it clear that he prioritizes his health over playing the Davis Cup every season.
Alcaraz confirmed his withdrawal on social media, explaining that muscle edema is preventing him from competing.
"I’m absolutely gutted to announce that I’m not going to be able to play with Spain in the Davis Cup in Bologna… I have an edema in the hamstring of my right leg, and the medical recommendation is not to compete. I’ve always said that playing for Spain is the greatest thing there is, and I was so excited to be able to help fight for the Salad Bowl. I’m heading home feeling heartbroken…"
You can really hear the disappointment in his words. For Alcaraz, representing Spain has always been one of the biggest honors in tennis.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Spain’s Davis Cup team. They’ll now have to find a way to compete without their biggest star in what’s already a pretty tough draw.
