Alex Corretja Believes Carlos Alcaraz’s Absence Has Made the ATP “An Absolute Hell”

Former World No.2 and Spanish player Alex Corretja has admitted that the sport has lost some of its magic due to the absence of Carlos Alcaraz from the tour. Alcaraz has been sidelined from competitive tennis since 14 April, when he suffered a right wrist injury while playing against Otto Virtanen in the second round of the Barcelona Open.

Before his injury, Alcaraz had reached the final of three tournaments, including the Australian Open, where he claimed his Career Grand Slam after defeating Novak Djokovic in the championship match. After that, he won the Qatar Open by beating Arthur Fils in the final, his second title in two months.

But he had a rough time on the court in March, failing to reach the finals at the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open. The Spaniard lost his World No. 1 ranking after losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets at Monte Carlo. However, in Alcaraz’s absence, Sinner has dominated the men’s circuit.

The Italian star has won six of the last seven tournaments he featured in this season. He went unbeaten for over 30 matches before losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the French Open. Sinner bounced back from that defeat to win the Wimbledon Championships, his fifth Grand Slam.

Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic have not been able to challenge Sinner in the absence of Alcaraz. Last year, Alcaraz was the only player to beat Sinner more than once on the court. Speaking to Marca, Corretja revealed that the impact of Alcaraz’s absence has made the men’s circuit into absolute hell, as there’s a lack of energy and enthusiasm from other players:

Not having Carlos on the courts is absolute hell. We’ve lost some of our magic, our essence… That doesn’t mean I’m not experiencing it with the same enthusiasm, because when you love tennis, some interesting things happen. At Roland Garros, without Carlos, and then after Sinner and Djokovic’s defeats, it felt like the world was opening up. The tournament became very interesting. But Alcaraz’s absence isn’t just about tennis anymore; it’s about the tension…

Alcaraz recently shared an update on his Instagram account featuring a selection of training photos and videos. However, days after the post-viral period, former ATP player Greg Rusedski revealed that he would be shocked if Alcaraz plays the US Open, as the former World No. 1 is far from match fit.

Alex Corretja links Carlos Alcaraz’s game to that of Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz has been linked to Rafael Nadal on countless occasions on tour. It is believed that they share a similar physical level and energy on the court, and that they are very entertaining to watch. Alcaraz has been dubbed to reach Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam tally on tour. Alcaraz currently has seven Slams to his name.

Also, Alcaraz and Nadal are the two leading players of their generation. Nadal was a member of the Big 3 as they dominated the men’s circuit, while Alcaraz and his arch-rival Jannik Sinner have been the two top players in tennis for over two years. During the aforementioned interview, Corretja linked Alcaraz’s style of play to that of Nadal:

When I commentate on a Carlos match, there are so many people following with passion. It’s a similar situation to what we experienced when Nadal was there. Their presence or absence makes a huge difference.

There’s no guarantee that Alcaraz will be back before the US Open. Nadal advised him, after getting the wrist injury, that he should take his time and recover before returning to the court. Alcaraz dropped to World No.3 after Alexander Zverev finished as runner-up at the Wimbledon Championships on Sunday (June 12).

Also Read: Former ATP Player Expresses Doubt About Novak Djokovic Winning His 25th Grand Slam