Spain’s Davis Cup Captain Says Carlos Alcaraz Doesn’t Need to “Overthink” His Wrist Injury Recovery

Spanish Davis Cup Captain David Ferrer has given an encouraging update on Carlos Alcaraz‘s wrist Injury recovery, but has warned his fellow compatriot not to think too much about it in his extended sideline from the tour. The World No.2 has not played a competitive match since April, and he’s yet to reveal when he will be back.

Alcaraz was competing to get back to the top of the ATP rankings at the Barcelona Open before he picked up the wrist injury. The Spaniard had lost the World No.1 spot to Jannik Sinner after failing to defend the Monte Carlo Masters. He had begun the season winning the Australian Open and Qatar Open, but lost the momentum in March.

He was leading Otto Virtanen in the second round of the Barcelona Open when he twisted his arm and asked for a medical timeout. What had seemed to be just a cautionary shift of joints became a serious injury following test results. He has since then withdrawn from the Madrid Open, Rome, Roland Garros, the Queen’s Club Championships, and Wimbledon.

The 23-year-old is yet to reveal when he will fully return to action after his injury, but he has never been this long on the sidelines. Should he return to the court in August, he would have missed almost four months on tour due to injury.

No professional player likes injury, especially injuries that force one to spend a longer time on the sideline. During an interview with Spanish publication AS, David Ferrer revealed that Alcaraz is recovering from his injury as days come by, but then hinted that the World No.2 might be thinking about his extended stay off the court:

Well, stay calm. Rest assured that everything is going well. The important thing is that Carlos recovers completely, one day at a time. There’s no need to overthink it. It’s an injury that needs to be treated carefully, and the good thing is that Carlos is mentally very strong and is in good hands.

Several former players, including Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, have advised Alcaraz to take his time and recover fully before returning to action on tour. The Australian Open champion was using a lead of over 3,000 points at the top of the ATP rankings, with Sinner in No.2 in February. But now, Sinner holds more than 3,500 points over the Spaniard.

Carlos Alcaraz told to control his anxiety about returning to action

If Carlos Alcaraz returns to the court in August, he will have to wait until next year or further to have a chance to reclaim his No.1 position. He toppled Jannik Sinner last September to finish the year as World No.1 for the second time in his career. He would have loved to hold on to the position for consecutive seasons, but the wrist injury has not allowed that to happen.

However, one major concern about Alcaraz’s wrist injury is that players who spend a long time recuperating often experience setbacks upon returning to the court. For some, it will take months for them to fully recover from the injury. During an interview with the aforementioned publication, Garbine Muguruza revealed that Alcaraz needs to control his anxiety about returning to the tour:

He needs to control his anxiety about returning. We players feel a lot of pressure to come back quickly, to not lose our spot or our place. He has to be smart and take his time. Hopefully, he’ll be ready for the American tour. Grass is a tricky surface to return to. It seems he’s recovering well, that’s what I’m hearing, but we have to be careful. I know many tennis players who have suffered this injury. It takes time to recover.

Several former Spanish players are hinting that Alcaraz might spend more time away from the court. Currently, he has not pulled out of any North American hard-court swing tournament, but with Wimbledon coming up later this month, the grass-court season is nearing its end, ushering in tournaments in Canada before the US Open.

Also Read: Tennis Legend John McEnroe Thanks Spurs for Choking Game 4 For His Knicks