Alcaraz confirms Rome and Roland Garros pull-out: why, Sinner reaction | OneFootball

Carlos Alcaraz, former world No. 1 and winner of seven Grand Slam tournaments, confirmed his withdrawal from the Rome Masters 1000 and Roland Garros due to a wrist injury. “After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing is to be cautious,” he wrote on his Instagram account.

The Spanish tennis player won the title in both competitions last year, so he will not be able to defend a large number of points, a key factor in his race with Italy’s Jannik Sinner for the top spot in the world rankings. The discomfort began during his debut at the ATP 500 in Barcelona. What at first seemed like a simple issue ended up forcing him to pull out of the rest of the clay-court swing.

After his victory in his opening match at the Madrid Masters, Sinner himself was asked about the situation of his main rival on the tour and reacted with surprise.

“It’s tough for tennis, very tough. You know these kinds of injuries, you know you have to take it very slowly. It’s very sad. He’s the defending champion, you always want to play against the best in the world, and he definitely is on this surface. I hope he recovers as soon as possible,” the Italian admitted.

Alcaraz, 22, had already cast doubt on his participation in Rome and in the year’s second Major during the Laureus Awards gala. “We’ll see, the next test is going to be crucial. We’re trying to do everything in our power to make sure that test goes well. I’m trying to stay positive, stay upbeat, and be patient, although these days are dragging on. I can’t give a timeline for my return,” Alcaraz had told TVE.

In Friday’s post, in which he confirmed his absence, the Spanish tennis player also said he is waiting to “assess the progress in order to decide when we will return to the court.” He concluded: “It’s a difficult moment for me, but I’m sure we’ll come out of this stronger.”

The ATP rankings are another factor to keep in mind. The Spanish player had lost the top spot after falling to Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 final, and the Italian currently leads him by 390 points. However, missing Rome and Roland Garros will cost him another 3,000 points, something that the Italian can use to widen the gap further, while players such as Alexander Zverev (No. 3) could also close in on him in the standings.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.