Carlos Alcaraz’s right wrist injury is indeed more serious than expected. The world number 2 explained this with a message on his Instagram page in which he also and especially announced his forfeit for the Rome and Paris tournaments, paving the way for his great rival Jannik Sinner, already back on the throne of the world ranking.
“After the results of the tests today, we have decided that the most prudent choice is to stop and not participate in the Rome and Roland Garros tournaments, waiting to see how the situation will evolve to determine when I can return to the court. It is a difficult time for me, but I am convinced that we will come out stronger,” the Spaniard’s words.
Lighting on the nature of the injury had been taken care of by Dr. Marc Juvenspan, a surgeon specializing in hand and shoulder problems, who when asked by the French newspaper L’Equipe explained how it was likely “either a tendinitis of the ECU (extensor ulnaris carpi), or a lesion of the TFCC, the triangular ligament that is located inside the wrist and connects the ulna and radius.” The expert had stressed that with this type of injury, there is no certainty about recovery time: “It can last three weeks as much as six months, or even longer,” he warned, thus leaving open any scenario about the Spaniard’s short-term competitive future.
Sinner’s coach, Simone Vagnozzi, has always stressed how stimulating Alcaraz’s presence is for the Blue’s growth: “He challenges you and pushes you to improve. You go on the court and figure out what to work on. It also happened with Medvedev and with Djokovic. Great champions always push you to find solutions.” A concept also reiterated by former world No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro, who in a recent interview with tennis365 had praised both champions, while stressing that to really get close to the Big 3 legend will still need time and continuity: “Carlitos and Jannik have a great opportunity to get closer to them, because today tennis is more open and they are playing much better than the others.”