TENNIS
Carlos Alcaraz injures his ankle in the Rio Open: Will he be able to play ‘The Netflix Slam’ against Nadal?
The two Spanish players are due to play an exhibition match in Las Vegas next month. Alcaraz is undergoing tests on his right ankle.
Carlos Alcaraz will undergo a series of tests on his ankle after withdrawing from the Rio Open. The world No.2 pulled out of Tuesday’s Round of 32 match against Thiago Monteiro with the first set tied at 1-1 after twisting his right ankle. After returning to court with his ankle strapped, the Spaniard decided he couldn’t continue.
Alcaraz unable to continue in Rio
He told reporters afterwards, “I felt bad. That was the first impression I had. I was feeling pain once I fell down, so I thought it was going to be difficult to continue if I was still having those feelings. After a few points it didn’t feel better. I couldn’t move well and I knew that it was going to be impossible to continue. I thought it was going to get worse if I kept playing for such a long match and that’s why I decided to retire. I’ll have a test on my ankle tomorrow and let’s see if it’s something serious or not”.
Indian Wells and Miami coming up
It’s the latest setback in a series of physical issues, sprains and traumatic complaints and could mean that he will be forced to sit out next month’s Netflix Slam clash against compatriot Rafa Nadal. The two players are due to take part in an exhibition match at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on 3 March. Alcaraz has just 12 days to recover.
He will undergo a resonance scan on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury. Even a slight sprain might take several days to a week to clear up. Alcaraz also has more important battles ahead, including the first Masters 1000 of the year at Indian Wells in which he is hoping to defend his title. The First Round gets underway on 6 March with the final on the 17th. Immediately afterwards is the Miami Open and the Spaniard, who has already dropped points in the ATP ranking in both Buenos Aires and Brazil, will be hoping to make up lost ground.
Alcaraz and Nadal have met three times in official competition - twice in Madrid and once in the US. Nadal leads the head-to-head battle 2-1 with victories at the Madrid Open in 2021 (6-1 6-2) and Indian Wells (4-6, 6-4, 3-6). Alcaraz got the better of Nadal in the most recent meeting at the Caja Mágica in the quarter finals (6-2, 1-6, 6-3) in May 2022.