Jannik Sinner on the field, Carlos Alcaraz reveals his frustration in front of the TV
Carlos Alcaraz on the sidelines of an event in Girona did not hide his bitterness at not being at Roland Garros to play for the title with Jannik Sinner: “The injury is frustrating: the competition goes on and I am forced to follow the tournaments and my rivals from home.”
The Spaniard is forced to stay out because of a wrist problem that will force him to miss the Wimbledon tournament as well. “I’m valuing little things like staying home with family and friends, when I come back destiny will have something good in store for me, I hope so.” Alcaraz despite his bitterness wanted to give a message to young people, “Think big, dream big and go for it. Whatever happens, whatever the end result, whether you get to the goal or not, preserve a wonderful path and remember it with a big smile.”
“The beautiful thing is the process, the journey, doing something that fills you with pride. I compete with players who want to be better than you in order to beat you, and that’s what motivates you to keep improving as other opponents do.”
The Spaniard’s absence was also commented on by Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz’s great rival and friend, on the eve of his Roland Garros debut: “It’s very sad news. I know him very well also on a personal level and I know that he is going through a very complicated moment. But at the same time this is sport and sport is totally unpredictable. Injuries appear and disappear. He is still very young and right now the first priority has to be to heal 100 percent and not to rush, because these kinds of problems can follow you throughout your career if you don’t manage them well.
Alcaraz’s absence inevitably weighs on the balance of the Paris tournament. Sinner, world number one with 14,700 points in the ATP rankings, comes to Paris as the big favorite, on the strength of 29 consecutive wins and a draw that could present him with opponents of the caliber of Zverev or Djokovic only in the final. For the South Tyrolean, Roland Garros represents the only missing Slam in his trophy cabinet, following triumphs at the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon.
