Carlos Alcaraz sends an injury update in a strong statement to competitors ahead of Indian Wells.
Alcaraz has returned to action after retiring from the Rio Open due to an ankle injury two games into his first match. Despite suffering a grade II lateral sprain, the 20-year-old returned to compete in the Netflix Slam exhibition event in Las Vegas, defeating Rafael Nadal in a tiebreak.
Indian Wells will be Alcaraz’s first official competition since Rio, and as the reigning champion, he has plenty to show. The world No. 2 is defending 1,000 ranking points over the next two weeks, and he has not won a trophy since July, with his last final coming in August.
Despite a dismal start to the year by his standards, Alcaraz is ready to go in the California desert, according to a statement he released. “I’m coming here to defend the title,” the Spaniard announced, sending a strong warning to his opponents.
“It is difficult…” There are the world’s finest tennis players, and some of them are performing really well this year. I know it will be challenging, but I’m prepared to face it. I’m here to try and defend the crown. “I’ve been feeling good in practice.”
However, questions remain over his fitness, and Alcaraz has now issued an update on the ankle ailment that forced him to cut short his Rio campaign. He went on: “Probably some people are wondering about my ankle.
“Let’s see if I can maintain 100 percent, but I’m also feeling better. So, let’s see how the tournament goes. But I’m here to defend, and I’m focused solely on that.”
As the second seed, Alcaraz won a bye into the second round, where he will face the dangerous young Italian Matteo Arnaldi, the world No. 40, who helped his country win the Davis Cup in late 2023.
Arnaldi has already won one match, defeating Luca Van Assche in the first round. Meanwhile, Alcaraz hasn’t played an official match since February 17, when he lost to Nicolas Jarry in the Argentina Open semi-finals