Carlos Alcaraz was forced to retire from this year's Rio Open due to injury, but he hasn't left Brazil's second city.
In fact, Alcaraz was still within the confines of the Jockey Club Brasileiro, which is the venue for the ATP 500 tournament. Pictures and videos circulating on social media platform X were shared by those within the premises, and Alcaraz appeared in positive spirits.
The Spaniard hurt his ankle during a first-round match against Thiago Monteiro and called it quits after only two games. Tennis fans feared the worst when Alcaraz was seen in a spot of bother and with a swollen foot.
With a crucial stretch on the horizon in March, including a marquee match against Rafael Nadal at the Netflix Slam in Las Vegas, the scenario of losing Alcaraz to injury was quite simply unfathomable. In his post-match press conference, the 20-year-old sounded upbeat about the injury.
Following an MRI scan, it was revealed that he suffered a grade II lateral sprain, which would only keep him out of action for a few days. With that said, Alcaraz even returned to the court to act as a ball boy during a hitting session involving his brother Alvaro and ATP player Dusan Lajovic.
His ankle was taped, but nothing suggested it was as serious as the immediate pictures after the fall. There was no apparent swelling, and Alcaraz was quite relaxed as he walked around the vicinity of the court, posing for pictures with enthusiastic tennis fans.
The two-time Grand Slam champion remains without a title this season, and his last appearance in an ATP final was at the Cincinnati Masters in August 2023, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in an epic match.
Alcaraz is defending plenty of points between now and the end of the grass swing. He is in desperate need to pick up form rapidly to avoid dropping down the rankings.
0 Comments