Carlos Alcaraz's participation at this year's Roland Garros was never seriously doubted, as the Spaniard declared himself fully fit ahead of the event.
This year's clay season has been less than ideal for the Spaniard, who played at just one event. He was supposed to begin his clay season in Monte Carlo, but he didn't due to a forearm injury that came out of nowhere.
It wasn't something that he had dealt with before, so it was very strange for him. Because of it, he missed the Barcelona Open but returned to Madrid and played well before he was beaten by Andrey Rublev.
He also missed the Italian Open, so he's not arriving with many matches in Paris. Most people would agree that it's not a huge issue because whether his forearm is healthy is a more pressing question.
He admitted before the event that he would never really miss Roland Garros because he decided to play weeks ago.
"I decided to play Roland-Garros a long time ago."
He was also asked about the state of his forearm, which was natural. Everybody wants to know that because it's crucial. He played quite timidly in Madrid, not hitting the forehand as hard as he could, which obviously is not ideal.
He can win matches that way, but sometimes, he really needs that power, especially against big-power players like Rublev. Fans will be glad to know that everything is fine, but it is slightly worrying that Alcaraz joked about not really knowing what the issue was.
That was a bit strange, but he seems healthy now, and that's what ultimately matters.
"I'm feeling better. Every practice that I have done here, at home, it was pretty good. I'm feeling better and better. At least I can practice, hit balls without pain. That's a really good point for me. I'm excited to play my first match here in Roland Garros. You’re not going to believe me but I don’t know exactly what I had to my forearm."
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