Carlos Alcaraz shares fitness update ahead of French Open
The Spaniard will be one of the main attractions in the second Grand Slam event of the season, but will he be at his best in Paris?
Carlos Alcaraz landed in Paris on Wednesday and he’s confident he will be “100%” ready. He’s “happy” with the evolution of his forearm injury, and the player admitted “things are going well lately”, although he needs to be “a lot of hours on the court just to get the rhythm” on clay.
“Things are going well lately, I’m really happy with all the progress. It was difficult for me because at the beginning the doctors told me it’s not going to be really serious, it’s just going to take a few days, from five to seven, and it wasn’t that time,” the Murcia native explained.
The Spaniard has dealt with problems in the last two months due to a forearm injury, missing the big clay court events in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome. He was at the Mutua Madrid Open in May, although he lost to the Russian Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz: “I will be at my 100%” at the French Open
“I was dealing with the pain, and how to focus my practices regarding the injury. Playing the Mutua Madrid Open not at my 100% was difficult as well but I’m really happy that I had the chance to play. Missing Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, tournaments that are really beautiful for me, was tough but things are going very, very good lately and that’s all that matters. I think I’ll be at my 100%”, Alcaraz added.
The 21-year-old player lived some tough moments over the last months due to these problems, although his season looked promising after winning Indian Wells, his first title since Wimbledon last summer. However, Alcaraz hasn’t played enough on clay, which could be crucial.
“On clay, you need to be a lot of hours on the court just to get the rhythm, to get how to move,” he stated.
“Missing the three tournaments on clay, really important ones, and not playing points, sets, or matches before, it’s going to be difficult, but I have time to practice with the top players, I have time to play sets and practice matches, and I think it’ll be really helpful for me just to be ready for Roland Garros”, he concluded.