Carlos Alcaraz can be considered one of the most controversial young players on the current ATP circuit. On the one hand, at the age of 20, the Spaniard won two Grand Slams, was the first racket in the world and settled in the top 3 of the world ranking, where he has not fallen since August 2022. On the other hand, Carlos is constantly accompanied by injuries and there is controversy around his style of play: is such a young but already serious player really on the court?
Alcaraz’s physical form raises more questions. For the third consecutive year, the Spaniard takes breaks due to injuries: in the 2022 season he missed the Final Tournament and did not help his team in the Davis Cup due to a torn abdominal oblique muscle, in 2023 he did; He did not play the Australian Open due to a right leg injury and the Basel Open due to left leg problems, and this year he withdrew from the first two clay tournaments due to pain in his right hand.
Carlos Alcaraz
Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images
In winter, former world number three in singles Nikolai Davydenko, in an exclusive interview with Championship, mentioned the reason why the 20-year-old Spaniard can get injured so often.
“The Spanish tennis school has very serious physical activity. They sway unrealistically, they have a supernatural physical condition. They focus on this more than tennis. For them, tennis remains in the background. They say that first you have to run and not get tired, and then play on the other side of the field. The body cannot withstand these overloads.”
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In 2024, Alcaraz missed the Monte Carlo Masters. The Spaniard completed one of the training sessions in Monaco ahead of schedule, which he did with a bandage on his right hand, and then refused to participate in the tournament due to pain in his right forearm. After the publication of the “five hundred” grid in Barcelona, it was learned that Carlos had also retired from it. But the Spaniard had to defend the title, which he won for two consecutive seasons (2022-2023).
No official reason was given for Alcaraz to miss the tournament in Barcelona. However, Spanish journalist Germán Abril said that the point is not the tennis player’s injury.
“Carlos Alcaraz is not injured. Yesterday’s medical tests confirmed it. The problem is that he doesn’t work very well on big forehands. It is important for Carlos to regain confidence in shooting,” Abril wrote on her social media.
Carlos Alcaraz training in Monte Carlo
Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Alcaraz really loves the forehand and trusts it, but the alleged version that Carlos misses the tournament due to lack of confidence in the forehand game raises doubts. It is rather believed that the Spaniard simply feels pain in his right forearm and cannot physically play, or he fears that his condition will worsen and needs more time to recover.
However, if the version of the lack of medical indications and only uncertainty in the forehand is confirmed, isn’t Carlos wrong? The Spaniard has a large arsenal from which to choose more reliable shots at all times and, when the opportunity arises, practice his forehand. Additionally, the ground is Alcaraz’s favorite surface. He grew up with it and now he’s missing two major clay court tournaments in a row.
Furthermore, the Spaniard is more likely than other young players to withdraw from competitions due to injuries. Both Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune had episodes last season in which they withdrew from several tournaments.
However, for Carlos, situations that prevent him from competing arise much more frequently, so the Spaniard runs the risk of starting to fall behind the Italian and the Dane, who act actively and maintain their playing style.
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This season, Carlos will have to defend the clay court title in Madrid (1,000 points), the third round in Rome (45 points) and the semifinal at Roland Garros (720 points). After being eliminated from the “500” in Barcelona, Alcaraz will remain the third racket in the world, but she will still increase the gap on Sinner ahead.
And one more thing: the version of Carlos’ absence of injuries is not official, so the reliable reason for refusing to defend the title at home can only be heard by the Spaniard himself. In the meantime, I want to see a decent fight from Alcaraz, successful regular performances and new titles. And all this is only possible if you feel good and have confidence in your game.
