Carlos Alcaraz brushes aside injury concerns after twisting his ankle in practice
Carlos Alcaraz brushed aside any concerns of injury after stopping his practice session midway on Saturday, August 24 ahead of the US Open.
Notably, Alcaraz twisted his right ankle during a practice game against Francisco Cerundulo and immediately left the court after a brief chat with his team.
The incident left several fans of Alcaraz worried over his participation in the US Open. However, the 21-year-old revealed that he stopped the practice as a precautionary measure as he didn’t feel comfortable enough to continue.
“I think it is OK. I just stopped my practice just for precaution. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to keep practicing, just in case if everything is going to be worse,” was quoted as saying by ESPN.
He further said that he isn’t a big fan of stopping his practice highlighting his hunger to get better. However, the Spaniard assured that he will be alright for the tournament in a couple of days.
“I don’t want to stop any practice. I want to practice, I want to get better, I want to get ready for the tournament. I’m sure that tomorrow, or in two days, I’m going to be at 100%, for sure,” he added.
Alcaraz’s forgettable beginning at hard court
Coming to Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz hasn’t had a good start at the hard court as he lost in the round of 32 game at the Cincinnati Open against Gael Monfils by 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. The loss didn’t go down well with the four-time Grand Slam winner was also seen breaking his racquet in anger. However, he later apologised for the incident.
Despite that the Spaniard has had a phenomenal year having won back-to-back grand slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The World number 3 will now shift his focus on the US Open set to begin from August 26 where he will take on qualifier Li Tu in his opening game.
Alcaraz won his first major singles title in New York in 2022 and became the youngest man and first male teenager in the Open era to top the singles rankings. He will be eager to repeat his heroics to add another feather cap in the ongoing year.