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Alcaraz admits 'little bit scared' over injury return at French Open

rugby24 May 2024 18:00| © AFP
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Carlos Alcaraz © Gallo Images

Carlos Alcaraz admitted on Friday that he was "a little bit scared" over how his sledgehammer forehand will bear up at the French Open after overcoming a worrying arm injury.


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The charismatic world No 3 was forced to sit out the recent Rome Open to nurse a problem with his right forearm.

"I'm not feeling any pain in the practices when I step on the court. But I'm still thinking about it when I'm hitting forehands," said the 21-year-old Wimbledon champion.

"I'm a little bit scared about hitting every forehand 100 per cent."

Alcaraz, also a former US Open champion, has played just one clay-court tournament in Europe this year, reaching the last-eight in Madrid.

Earlier in the year, he was a semifinalist on the Buenos Aires clay before his arm problems sparked a retirement after two games of his opener in Rio.

The precise nature of his injury has remained a mystery to the Spanish star.

"I think you're not going to believe me, but I don't know exactly what I have on the forearm," he said.

"When I do the tests, when I'm talking with the doctors, my team, they explain to me, I listened but I forgot it."

One thing that Alcaraz cannot forget is his painful exit from the 2023 French Open when he lost a four-set semifinal to Novak Djokovic, revealing that the fear of facing the world No 1 had caused his body to cramp up.

Despite the poor form of defending champion Djokovic and injury-hit 14-time champion Rafael Nadal this season, Alcaraz insists they cannot be written off as contenders.

"Probably we don't see them playing their best tennis, but it's a Grand Slam, it's Roland Garros, and I think they have chances to win the tournament," he said.

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