Carlos Alcaraz, known for his prowess on clay, has yet to reach a French Open final despite his Grand Slam victories on grass and hardcourts. Last year, Novak Djokovic thwarted his advance to the final, but Alcaraz avenged this by defeating Djokovic at Wimbledon, preventing the Serbian from securing a fifth consecutive title there.
However, Alcaraz’s journey to Roland Garros this year has been marred by a forearm injury that disrupted his claycourt season. He had to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open, and despite competing in Madrid, he exited in the quarter-finals and later skipped the Italian Open. “I felt some pain after playing in Madrid, some discomfort in my arm … I did some tests and I have a muscle edema in my pronator teres (forearm muscle), a consequence of my recent injury,” Alcaraz explained upon his withdrawal from the Italian Open. “I need to rest so I can recover and play 100% pain-free.”
This year’s French Open is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable tournaments in recent memory. Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion, is nearing the end of his career and struggling with injuries. Novak Djokovic, recovering from a bout of nausea and dizziness following an incident in Rome, is not in peak condition. Additionally, Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Rome tournament due to a hip problem, and world number five Daniil Medvedev is also dealing with a hip injury.
Despite these challenges, Alcaraz remains hopeful. Practicing diligently at his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s tennis academy, he is determined to regain his form. “These days Carlos is working hard on trying to recover in order to be ready for the upcoming tournaments,” Ferrero said.
Alcaraz’s impressive 18-5 record this season and his mindset to overcome adversity, as demonstrated by his victory at Indian Wells, fuel his ambition. “You can overcome all the problems that you have. It doesn’t matter what problems you have,” Alcaraz stated. “If you believe in yourself, you have a really good team around, you work hard, everything can turn around.”
Alcaraz aims to bring this resilience to Roland Garros, hoping to achieve his long-awaited breakthrough at the French Open.
Leave a Reply