Carlos Alcaraz seeks health in Barcelona | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz seeks health in Barcelona

The Murcian won the last two editions of the tournament

April 15, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz appears before the press at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell 2024.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff

If the fervor of the fans measures the greatness of an athlete, Carlos Alcaraz presents a very long shadow. The Spaniard went to the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell facilities this Monday, where an injury to his right arm will prevent him from competing for a trophy that he has won in the last two seasons. Surrounded by a great popular atmosphere, converted into a true mass idol, the current No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings recounted in detail the illness that has prevented him from making his debut on European clay.

“I won’t be able to play in Barcelona but I wanted to come to the tournament,” explained the Murcian, who started as first seed in Barcelona. “I wanted to come closer and explain it in my own words. “This is a club where I have lived a large part of my life, I wanted to do it in person and comment on my current situation.”

Alcaraz’s season came to a screeching halt just a few days ago. The pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had experienced a remarkable North American hard court tour, revalidating the Indian Wells Cup after recovering the height of his tennis, received a warning from his own body. While preparing for the start of the clay tour at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, home of the first clay ATP Masters 1000 on the calendar, Alcaraz suffered a muscle injury to the pronator teres in his right arm.

“The pain started in the first training session in Monte Carlo,” explained Alcaraz, who immediately had to give up competing in the Principality. “After an hour I felt quite significant discomfort in my forearm. At that moment I thought it wasn’t going to be a big deal. Together with my team we treated it as best as possible, doing tests to see what the problem was. I couldn’t play in Monte Carlo due to deadlines and I returned home to see if, with recovery, days, training and patience, I could arrive in Barcelona as best as possible.”

With barely a week to spare, surrounded by his work core, Alcaraz activated a preparation plan against the clock. The Murcian, who assumes an important defense of points on the clay tour, including the Madrid title and the semifinals signed at Roland Garros a year ago, tried to meet the deadlines with the weekend as his horizon.

“I had a test on Saturday morning, which gave quite positive images. That gave me hope to play in the tournament. But Sunday was the litmus test for us. It was the first day that I hit forehands after the Monte Carlo training and it was not as we expected. I noticed it again. Every time I increased the intensity of the right, I noticed more and more discomfort. It was a difficult decision since it is a very important and special tournament for me. Making the decision not to come was complicated for me, my family and my team.”

At barely 20 years old, Alcaraz has become one of the great historical figures of the traditional Conde de Godó. Thanks to his achievements in the 2022 and 2023 editions, the Murcian has become the third Spanish player with multiple individual crowns on the clay of Barcelona, ​​following in the footsteps of Manuel Orantes (4) and Rafael Nadal (12). A story whose next chapter, for the moment, will have to wait.

“Mi feeling It’s not correct, but it is what it is. Now I have all my concentration on recovery and I have a little more margin. My goal is to try to go to the Mutua Madrid Open, but at the moment I am not clear at all,” acknowledged the Murcian, who has won the Caja Mágica in the last two seasons. “They told me some deadlines, which I have been meeting, but I have not had a good feeling. I don’t want to rush into my decision, I don’t want to say here that I’m going to be 100% in Madrid but that is my intention. “We are going to train and do everything in our power so that those sensations improve to be able to play a tennis match.”

“Hopefully I can enjoy the Madrid crowd and play at home. It is also a very special tournament for me. I hope I can see all of you there and can also enjoy your love. I hope everything goes well.”