Alcaraz seems recovered from his injury and could play in Madrid
The world No. 3 has been practicing normally at the Madrid Open and he could come back to competition after missing Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Carlos Alcaraz is smiling again. The two-time major champion seems to have overcome the forearm injury that kept him away from the courts for the last weeks and, unless an unexpected setback happens, he will return to competition in Madrid.
The 20-year-old superstar has missed the Monte Carlo Masters and the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona, so he’s willing to make his debut in this season’s European clay tour, where he will be looking to shorten distances with Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings.
The Murcia native will be looking to win his third consecutive title in Madrid, after beating the Germans Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Alcaraz would only play Nadal in the final
Carlos Alcaraz recently admitted that his goal was to be ready to play at the Madrid Open, but he wouldn’t take any risks. After working with his physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno at the Ferrero Tennis Academy last week, Carlitos seems to feel better and enjoyed his practice.
Alcaraz has 1,000 points to defend in the event, and in case he had to withdraw, he could drop to the No. 4 spot behind Djokovic, Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev. He will make his debut against the winner of the Arthur Rinderknech-Aleksandr Shevchenko match.
Although Djokovic announced he wouldn’t be playing in Madrid, fans will see Rafa Nadal back in action. The Spanish living legend had to deal with multiple injury issues for a long time but is physically fit and ready to compete.
The 24-time Grand Slam event winner got the chance to test himself at the Barcelona Open. He easily defeated Flavio Cobolli but tasted defeat against the more in-form Alex De Minaur in straight sets. Nadal could face the Australian player again if he manages to defeat Darwin Blanch in the first round and will avoid a clash with Alcaraz until a hypothetical final.