Carlos Alcaraz has endured a tumultuous 2024 thus far, but his title win at Indian Wells was imperious.
It finally allowed us to bear witness to the young star we had all been enamoured with, as he returned to his hard-hitting and relentless running ways that drew praise from Andy Roddick.
The California crowd lapped it up, and in the end it only ever felt like he would be the one lifting that trophy.
However, that marked an anomaly from an otherwise indifferent season thus far, which has been scuppered by injury. Now, those issues threaten to re-emerge…
Carlos Alcaraz offers important injury update
Speaking exclusively to Eurosport ahead of the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 tournament, which kickstarted at the back-end of last week, the world number three, who was recently leapfrogged by the in-form Jannik Sinner, offered an update on his injury woes.
Having been forced out of Rio early as he sought to avenge 2023’s loss in the final, going over on his ankle and being left in some discomfort, recent photos have since emerged of him playing with some kind of brace on his wrist, sparking fresh fears over his fitness.
However, upon speaking to the media, he has actually offered an update on both, suggesting that the bigger worry is aggravating the earlier ailment on the tricky clay surface.
Alcaraz noted: ‘Well honestly, I thought about it in my first practice on clay, with all the slices and all that stuff. I was really careful on it. But after the first hour, I just try not to think about it and played normally.
‘Right now, I don’t feel pain on the ankle, I am moving normally. It’s something that I have to trust, and let’s see. But it’s gonna be difficult probably – the first matches with the ankle. In my mind probably there’s gonna be thoughts on it.’
Carlos Alcaraz has plenty of points to defend on Clay
As aforementioned, Alcaraz’s recent downturn in form across the last six months, coupled with Sinner’s sensational winning streak, has seen the two trade places in the ATP world rankings.
And, what’s worse for the former is that his impressive clay court season last year means he has a whole load of points to defend, as does Novak Djokovic, whilst the Italian does not.
In total, Alcaraz will have to defend 2,265 points, compared to the pitiful 585 that Sinner amassed last campaign.
So, barring a true collapse from the 22-year-old superstar, it is expected that he will extend his lead over the two-time Grand Slam champion and even start breathing down the neck of the world number one, Djokovic.
Alcaraz, though, will likely not care, if it means he claims a few more titles between now and the end of the clay season.
He will have his sights set on Roland-Garros in particular, unsurprisingly, given his admirable performances in the past in one of the two majors he is yet to win.
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