Carlos Alcaraz says he is ‘feeling well’ despite being seen wearing heavy strapping on his right arm at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic.
The world No.7 heads into the Wimbledon championships without playing any build-up tournaments on grass after pulling out of Queen‘s due to an elbow issue. This week he is taking part in an exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club where he lost his first match in straight sets to Frances Tiafoe (6-4, 6-2).
It was during his clash with Tiafoe that spectators noticed Alcaraz’s arm being bandaged up. The 19-year-old has only played eight full Tour matches on the grass. Six of those were in 2019 when he played on the ITF junior circuit. He played two as a pro last year at Wimbledon.
Questioned about the current state of his fitness on Thursday, Alcaraz has insisted that there are currently no concerns and what he was wearing was ‘precautionary.’
“Well, it was just for precaution,” the Express Newspaper quoted Alcaraz as saying. “A couple of weeks ago I had problems where I couldn’t train well. I trained without pain at Wimbledon and I felt good today. I had fun out there and I have more training ahead and another match on Saturday here.
“A few weeks ago I couldn’t give it my all in training, and I have come here not knowing how I would be. But I’ve been feeling well, without any pain, so I hope to keep improving and that everything will be ok.”
Alcaraz has enjoyed a stellar first half of 2022 when he became the youngest player to crack the world’s top 10 since his idol Rafael Nadal did so in 2005. He has compiled a win-loss record of 32-4 and has already won four titles this year, including his first at a Masters 1000 event in Miami. Furthermore, he has beaten a top 10 player on eight separate occasions.
Although it remains to be seen how Alcaraz will fare on the grass which he still is relatively new to playing on compared to other surfaces. At Wimbledon, he will be seeded fifth in the draw.
“Learning how to move on the grass is very important and it’s the key to be able to get good results. We’re trying to improve the mobility and small details such as volleying,” he said.
“I don’t mind being in the background, without pressure. Some people are calling me one of the favourites for Wimbledon but honestly, I don’t think so. There are plenty of players who are much better than me on grass at the moment such as Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Matteo Berrettini, who are playing incredibly. But we are going to try to enjoy the grass, not just now but in the future.”
The draw for the Wimbledon tournament will take place on Friday morning at 10:00 GMT.
