Carlos Alcaraz's status ahead of the 2024 Madrid Open has been a huge talking point, and he admitted he's not fully recovered.
Alcaraz missed two tournaments due to an arm problem that seemingly impacted his forehand. His forehand is his signature shot, and it's a large part of what makes him really good on a tennis court, and he didn't feel comfortable playing while struggling with it.
He denied any kind of injury, as tests proved to be positive previously, but wanted to simply give himself more time to better prepare for the upcoming Madrid Open.
He had to skip some big events, the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open in particular, which was rather painful, but speaking to the media ahead of the Madrid Open, Alcaraz admitted that he's trending in the right direction.
"I dare say that we are on the right path and if everything goes the same I believe we will be there. Of course it would be better for me to have one more day, of course I would prefer to debut on Saturday, but these things always go to draw, so I will have to deal with what I have to deal with."
It's interesting to see Alcaraz desire one more day, but it also makes sense. He obviously wants to be fully ready for the ATP Masters 1000 event, and it doesn't seem like he's fully ready yet.
He might get there during the duration of the event, but that's not ideal. Ultimately, he's a tennis player, and he's used to playing with all sorts of physical issues.
He has won the Madrid Open twice in the past, but his arm issues are certainly something to monitor. He practised with a brace ahead of the event, and they might be a factor in the weeks leading up to Roland Garros.