Carlos Alcaraz remains in the Madrid Open main draw, but he has not to be cleared to defend his title due to concerns about his forearm.
The two-time Grand Slam winner hasn’t competed since losing in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov in the Miami Open quarterfinals in late March.
He was supposed to compete in the Monte Carlo Masters, but he withdrew on the eve of his second-round match owing to a “injured pronator teres in the right arm,” and he later skipped his title defence at the Barcelona Open this week due to the same issue.
However, word from the Alcaraz camp is that the injury is not serious, with scans giving him the all-clear. The Spaniard “noticed more and more discomfort” in Barcelona and decided to withdraw.
Regarding his Madrid hopes, he stated: “I don’t want to rush, and I don’t want to say that I will be 100% in Madrid, even though that is my intention.”
The world number three has been working with his physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno at the Ferrero Tennis Academy for the past week.
According to journalist German R. Abril, “will test sensations this weekend in the capital of Spain to find out if he will be able to defend the @MutuaMadridOpen title next week”.
READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz’s injury history: Growing pains or a long-term problem?
The 20-year-old is scheduled to go to Madrid later on Sunday, and his first training session at Caja Mágica will be finalised once he is in the capital.
Alcaraz has 1,000 points to defend at the ATP Masters tournament, and if he does not compete, he will slide to fourth place in the ATP Rankings, behind Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev.
The Madrid Open is also the penultimate large event before the French Open, with just the Italian Open remaining, which begins on May 8 in Rome.
Paul Annacone, a renowned tennis coach and observer, has revealed in recent weeks that Alcaraz’s physical issues are becoming a concern.
“Yeah, it’s becoming a little disconcerting. There’s plenty of time before the French Open. But, whenever you see young guys getting injured frequently, it gets me a little concerned,” he told Tennis Channel.
“And clearly, this child is a fantastic athlete, and we can only hope that his injury heals quickly. But look, two tournaments is a major loss.”