Carreño: “I didn’t know if it would be possible to continue playing tennis” | ATP Tour

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Carreño: “I didn’t know if it would be possible to continue playing tennis”

The Spaniard will play his first Masters 1000 in Montreal since Paris 2022

August 05, 2024

Two years ago, when Pablo Carreño Busta saw the Omnium Banque National draw presented by Rogers, he couldn’t believe it. The Spaniard, then number 23 in the PIF ATP Rankings, was due to face Matteo Berrettini in the first round, who had reached number 6 in the rankings that same year.

“I wrote to my friends on WhatsApp and said, ‘Come on, the Masters 1000s are crazy. I’m number 23 in the world and I’m playing Berrettini in the first round,’” Carreno Busta recalled in an interview with ATPTour.com. “’Come on, in the first round? I’m number 23 in the world and I have to play Matteo?’”

That week turned out to be the best of Carreno Busta’s career. The Gijon native not only defeated Berrettini, but ended up claiming his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy. He created memories to last a lifetime in Montreal.

When Carreno Busta returned to Jarry Park a few days ago for the first time since that glorious week, his mindset was nowhere near the same. The 33-year-old has not played for the better part of the past year and a half due to tendinitis in his elbow.

“It’s very special, of course, because I won two years ago here in Montreal, my first ATP Masters 1000. But it’s also very special because the last year and a half I was off the Tour due to an injury,” Carreno Busta said. “Being here again is very important for me. I didn’t know if it was going to be possible to continue playing tennis or not.”

^{Carreño Busta triumphed in Montreal 2022. Photo: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour}
Now Carreño Busta is confident he can move forward, but that wasn’t always the case.

“Sometimes I feel the pain when I play tennis. But there were other times when I felt the pain all the time when I was sleeping, when I was trying to swim at the beach,” Carreno Busta said. “It was crazy because it’s very uncomfortable to think all the time if there’s going to be pain or not.”

There were times when the Spaniard, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 in the world, wondered whether he would have to retire.

“I thought about it sometimes, but I didn’t want to do it. But when you stop for a year and a half, it’s normal to think about a lot of things,” Carreño Busta said. “I also didn’t know how my life would continue after I retired.”

“Look at Novak, for example. He is 37 years old and he is still playing at this level. So I hope to be here on tour for the next few years.”

In his worst moments, Carreno Busta did his best to enjoy time with his family and friends, especially his wife. Their support helped him stay as positive as possible.

Last October, Carreno Busta attempted to play two ATP Challenger Tour events after an eight-month absence. But the pain was too much to bear and he underwent surgery.

As hard as it was to spend so much time away from the sport he loves, it gave him a new perspective.

“I tried to work hard to get back. I received treatments with the physiotherapists, with the doctors, I did a lot of fitness. I tried to play tennis. There were difficult moments, but it is true that I had a lot of time,” Carreño Busta said. “In a year and a half I had a lot of time to enjoy with my family as well, to do things that I normally wouldn’t be able to do. For example, last summer, I went on vacation. Normally in the summer I am here in the United States or in Canada playing these tournaments. So it was different. But I think that right now I prefer to be here playing tennis.”

Carreno Busta played his first tournament of the year at Roland Garros, where he lost in the first round. After competing in three more tournaments, two on clay and one on grass, the Spaniard was injured again and was unable to take to the court at Wimbledon.

But now he is excited to be in Montreal, where two years ago he lived one of the happiest moments of his career. He defeated Berrettini, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Daniel Evans and Hubert Hurkacz to win the biggest title of his career.

“It was probably the best week of my life,” Carreño Busta said.

“I would like to just enjoy these moments, gain the extra confidence to be here and try to have a good week. I know that my level is probably not the same as two years ago. But for me it is very important to be here. I know that I am not 100 percent again at the moment, but we will see what happens. I think the most important thing is that I am healthy, that I remain healthy and that I do not get injured again.”