Former ATP Player Believes Carlos Alcaraz’s Wrist Injury is More Severe than Reported

Former World No.14 Kyle Edmund has pointed out that Carlos Alcaraz‘s wrist injury might be more severe than what has been reported. The Spaniard has been out for the past three months, recovering from a wrist problem, which has taken longer than expected. However, he’s expected to be back before the US Open.

In April, Alcaraz sustained a right wrist injury during his opening match at the Barcelona Open against Otto Virtanen. The 22-year-old had won the match but later discovered that he injured his wrist during the process. Since then, Alcaraz has missed four big tournaments, including two Grand Slam events.

He’s reportedly already undergoing light training ahead of his comeback during the North American hard-court swing. A Murcia-based outlet, La Verdad, reported recently that Alcaraz might not be able to take part in the Cincinnati Masters next month, but will surely compete at the US Open in New York.

It has been reported earlier that the Spaniard’s recovery process has been slow, but Alcaraz is not looking to hasten the process. He was advised by Spanish legend Rafael Nadal to take his time and allow the injury to heal fully before making his comeback, so that he will limit any future injury to that same wrist.

Nonetheless, Alcaraz and his team have made sure not to give any information about his comeback, but the Cincinnati Open added him to their entry list ahead of the tournament kickoff in August. In an interview with Tennis365, Kyle Edmund analyzed that Alcaraz’s injury is not a minor one and even though he hopes to see him return to the court, he has to fully recover before making his comeback:

For Alcaraz, it doesn’t feel like a minor injury; it seems significant because he’s had to take a lot of time off and miss Grand Slam tournaments. When you miss Grand Slams, it’s serious. For those guys, their whole career is about winning majors. For tennis lovers, we don’t need these guys to be out. I love watching him play, so I’d like him to come back. He has to be careful with his wrist. I know, from talking to people about wrist injuries, that you have to make sure.

Alcaraz being away due to injury has made the ATP one-sided. His arch-rival Jannik Sinner has dominated the men’s circuit, winning six of the last seven tournaments he has featured in. The only time Sinner didn’t win a tournament he competed in was at the French Open, where he lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in five sets.

Kyle Edmund analyzes how Carlos Alcaraz’s style of play had a hand in his injury

Carlos Alcaraz is known to play in a certain tactical game that forces him to run more than other players on the court. For instance, Jannik Sinner plays fewer rallies per point, which allows him to spend less time on the court. But that is not the same for Alcaraz, who often takes his time, playing longer rallies and enjoys the freedom that the court gives him.

Also, he exerts more energy during the course of a match. He has often revealed that his style of play makes him perform that way. During the aforementioned interview, Kyle Edmund pointed out that he’s aware that the Spaniard’s game tactics demand full commitment, and that is why he needs time to regain full capacity:

I think publicly, he stays quite quiet about it—and that’s completely normal, it’s personal. I don’t know exactly what happened in terms of the injury. But he’ll come back when he’s ready. His style of play is so explosive and physical that he can’t afford to have any doubt in his mind. He has to be able to trust his body. Hopefully, he will, because tennis is better with him in it.

Alcaraz has already dropped to World No.3 with Alexander Zverev overtaking him after winning the French Open and finishing as runner-up at Wimbledon. Should Alcaraz miss the Cincinnati Open, he’s sure to lose 1,000 points, having won the title last year, which will see the gap between him and Zverev increase.

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