Carlos Alcaraz Nears Rome Verdict After Latest Development

Carlos Alcaraz finds himself in a very unpleasant spot, as he has to juggle injury problems shortly ahead of the Roland Garros.

Alcaraz will be the defending champion at the French Open this year, if he makes it to the French capital. The Spaniard's chances of defending his title significantly decreased after he injured himself in the Barcelona Open final.

As a result of that injury, Alcaraz had to withdraw from the Madrid Open, and even his Italian Open participation isn't sure. The ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome starts on May 7th, and the Spaniard doesn't have much time left to make a decision.

In an attempt to assess his physical state ahead of his possible comeback, Alcaraz recently returned to practice, but only with both thighs strapped, which didn't indicate any improvement after the recent injury setback.

However, according to the latest report from the Spanish publication MARCA, despite Alcaraz's strapping, the tests that he underwent on Monday in Murcia showed that the tear in his adductor has fully healed.

The publication reports that Alcaraz should make a decision about his Italian Open participation during the weekend, giving himself a few more practice sessions before making the final decision. He should have a couple of high-intensity practice sessions during the weekend.

Should Alcaraz decide to travel to the Italian capital, he will do so on Tuesday, May 6th. The main draw action in Rome starts on May 7th, but the Spanish youngster won't be in action until at least May 9th, since as one of the seeded players, he has a first-round bye.

According to the same report from MARCA, Alcaraz should be feeling positive about his chances of making it to Rome, and his physiotherapist, Juanjo Moreno, strapped his thighs only as a precaution.

If Alcaraz can't compete in Rome, it wouldn't be the first time for him. He played at the event only once, back in 2023. The Spaniard reached the third round after beating Albert Ramos Vinolas, but he was famously stunned by Fabian Marozsan in the following round.

Last year, Alcaraz withdrew from the Italian Open, but that still didn't impact him at the French Open, as he went on to win the clay-court Grand Slam.

This year, all the decisions Alcaraz makes, like most players do, will be made to maximize his chances of competing at Roland Garros. If he misses the Parisian Slam, Alcaraz could lose even his World No. 3 position, which wouldn't be an ideal position for him going forward.

The Italian Open will also be the first tournament in which Alcaraz will have a chance to compete against his rival Jannik Sinner, as the Italian will return from his three-month doping suspension in Rome.

Should Alcaraz play, the two can possibly meet already in the semi-finals, as the Spaniard will be only the third seed, while Sinner will be the top-seeded player at his home ATP Masters 1000 event.