Alcaraz: I think I’ll be okay to play Rome

The Spaniard has some questions to answer before he takes the court again, but he leaves Madrid in a good state of mind.

Carlos Alcaraz, Madrid Open, 2024 Zuma / Panoramic

Chris Oddo

May 1, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz’s hot streak finally came to an end in Madrid, two-plus years of dominant tennis – and 14 consecutive wins – ending as he fell prey to Andrey Rublev in quarter-final action on Wednesday, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Immediately after the loss, thoughts turned to Alcaraz’s injured forearm and the implications of his performance in Madrid. The 20-year-old Spaniard, who missed Monte-Carlo and Barcelona while rehabbing, has been favouring the injury since he returned to play last week, and he has been unwilling to hit his forehand with full force.

After his loss on Wednesday, he opened up about the status of the injury as he looked ahead to better days.

“I have to keep going. Right now here in Madrid, while every time that I’m hitting the forehand, I’m thinking about the forearm, if I’m getting a feeling or not.”
— Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz: overthinking the forehand

Alcaraz admitted that his rehab is still a work in progress, and that he never really played at full comfort in Madrid. He told reporters early in the week that he aimed to go easy on his forehand as he tested out the injured forearm, and that never changed.

“I have to keep going. Right now here in Madrid, while every time that I’m hitting the forehand, I’m thinking about the forearm, if I’m getting a feeling or not,” he said. “I have to work hard these days if I want to go to Rome with good feelings, without pain, without thinking about my forearm, but it’s gonna be a slow process, I guess. I have to be patient in that way.”

Overall, Alcaraz says he feels good about his performance in Madrid, and the way his body held up.

“Right now I leave Madrid with good feelings in the forearm, but I have to do good work,” he said.

More pain than previous matches

But the news isn’t all good for Alcaraz. He said that he was a little sore after his three-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff in the round of 16. It explains some of his difficulties against Rublev on Wednesday.

“Today probably I felt more in the forearm than yesterday’s match,” he said. “Playing three hours yesterday, I knew that I’m gonna feel something or I’m gonna think about it even more. Playing someone like Rublev that I couldn’t push him to the limit in every point is tough… the end of the match, I sliced the forehand a bit more. ”

Alcaraz took it all in stride, and said he’s eager to keep improving next week in Rome, though not 100 percent sure about his participation yet.

“Was difficult feelings, let’s say, at the end of the match, but, I mean, the point is that I’m gonna go to Rome. I’m going to work these days to be close to 100 percent or in a good way to play Rome, but I’m gonna decide these days.

“But I think I’ll be okay to play Rome.”