Carlos Alcaraz has taken some encouraging steps in his bid to return to competitive action at Roland Garros, judging by footage from his latest practice session.
For weeks now, Alcaraz has not been himself. His preparations for the second Grand Slam of the season were derailed by an unfortunate forearm injury that developed shortly after the Miami Open.
He was forced to miss back-to-back tournaments in April - the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. Missing his home tournament was a tough pill to swallow, with the 21-year-old revealing that he had even made arrangements for his close friends to attend the event to watch him.
His health took priority in that instance. Alcaraz was able to return to Madrid, where he was defending another home title. But he fell short in his quest to become the first man to complete a three-peat in the Spanish capital as he lost to eventual champion Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal.
After days of consultation and recuperation, Alcaraz decided not to play at the Italian Open, citing that his forearm was still bothering him and that tests showed he developed muscle edema in the pronator teres.
That meant he was allowed the maximum possible recovery period of 12 days before he picked up a racket again. Previously, he practiced his swings and movements without playing tennis, causing concern among his fans and some observers with just a couple of weeks to Roland Garros.
But that has now changed. In positive news for Alcaraz enthusiasts, the two-time Grand Slam champion was back in Murcia, where he completed his first practice session with limited straining. He was also wearing a protective arm sleeve on his right hand.
The French Open main draw begins on May 26th. Alcaraz has only played four competitive matches on the dirt in this year's European clay swing but is still considered the oddsmaker's favorite to win the tournament in Paris.
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