Two-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz is walking freely again and even able to perform the role of ball boy, suggesting that his ankle injury recuperation is progressing well.
Carlos Alcaraz is recovering after suffering an ankle sprain on the second point of his first-round match against Thiago Monteiro on Tuesday, ending his Rio Open season after only two games.
With the score at 1-1, he threw in the towel and was spotted hobbling off the court before leaving the stadium in a golf cart, despite the fact that he continued to play after receiving treatment from the ATP physiotherapist.
Despite having a grade II ankle injury, Alcaraz gave an encouraging update after receiving an MRI, saying he should be ready for his next two assignments, the Indian Wells Open and the Netflix Slam in Las Vegas.
“A grade II lateral sprain was the diagnosis following my appointment with my physician, Dr. Lopez Martinez, and my physical therapists, Juanjo Moreno M and Sergio Kine. I’ll be gone for a few days due to a sprain! “See you in Indian Wells and Las Vegas!” he wrote.
Alcaraz has decided to follow through on his first plan and stay in Rio de Janeiro. According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, he will stay in the Brazilian capital until March 1st, at which point he will travel to the United States.
With his ankle severely wrapped, the 20-year-old returned to training on Thursday. Although he is still not fully recovered, he has been keeping himself occupied by working as a ball boy for his brother Alvaro.
Since his brother was unavailable to train, the elder Alcaraz family member was tasked with practicing with Serbian tennis player Dusan Lajovic. Alvaro, 24, has been Carlos’ hitting partner for a fair number of years.
The two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz will play Rafael Nadal, a legendary tennis player who is also plagued by injury, in The Netflix Slam in Las Vegas on March 3. The match will be televised on the streaming behemoth’s platform.
The ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells Open, which begins on March 6, will need him to fly to California for his title defence. He will next play in the Miami Open to complete the Sunshine Double.
“I really adore performing in front of an audience. I enjoy giving it my all on stage, and I am confident in my ability to compete with the greatest. I’m hoping to stay here for a long time because I’ve cracked the top 32.”
