Carlos Alcaraz had to pull out of his opening match at the 2024 Rio Open against Thiago Monteiro after a sudden injury problem.
The two-time Grand Slam champion's appearance in Rio is part of his busy 2024 schedule. For instance, it has also been confirmed that Alcaraz will return to defend his title at Queen's in July.
Alcaraz has been vocal about how much he enjoys the South American clay court swing. Last year, he beat Cameron Norrie in Buenos Aires, before the British player got revenge by shocking Alcaraz in the Rio final one week later.
The fans in Rio had been particularly patient to see Alcaraz. The start of play was delayed by rain, and then the opening match on Centre Court between Stan Wawrinka and recent Buenos Aires champion Facundo Diaz Acosta was played first.
Eventually, Alcaraz stepped onto Centre Court with Monteiro. There was a big crowd and a sense of excitement in the air. However, things quickly went wrong for Alcaraz and the crowd.
In just the second point of the match, the Spaniard lost his footing and took a nasty fall. In doing so, he rolled his ankle and was clearly in a lot of discomfort from the moment it happened.
Alcaraz took a medical timeout and very extensive strapping was applied to his foot and ankle to try and alleviate the pain. Last year's Wimbledon champion got to his feet and attempted to try to play for the fans.
Initially, it seemed like there may be hope. Alcaraz broke in the first game and hit some of his trademark groundstrokes in the process, which delighted the crowd on Centre Court.
However, reality then quickly set in. The 20-year-old was broken in the next game and he was clearly struggling with his movement. He then decided to retire, which upset him, but Alcaraz did not break any rackets as his former coach says he used too.
The good news is the injury did not look too serious and there is a good chance Alcaraz will be fit for the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells next month. But this was still a sad moment for the spectators in Rio.
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