Carlos Alcaraz and his team aren’t sharing a lot about his wrist injury, but word is that it’s pretty serious. If he doesn’t deal with it now, it could mess up his future in the sport.

Earlier this month, Alcaraz pulled out of the Barcelona Open because he felt something was wrong in his wrist. He didn’t wait around; he announced he’d skip the rest of the clay season and sit out the French Open, which really tells you how bad things are.

There’s talk in Spain that he might not be ready for Wimbledon either. Some are saying it’s tenosynovitis, the same injury that hit Rafael Nadal when he was at his peak. Tennis does a number on the wrists, and this kind of injury doesn’t just go away; you have to rest it, and even then, it can pop back up if you start playing too soon.

The best thing for Alcaraz now is probably just to take it easy. If he keeps pushing with a damaged tendon, he risks tearing it, and that’s not something you bounce back from quickly.

Lots of people in tennis have been reaching out, offering advice. Greg Rusedski, the former British No. 1, wants Alcaraz to think about the long haul instead of rushing back for the grass season.

“He’s already done so much – seven majors, all four Slams – and he’s only 22,” Rusedski said on his podcast. “His team’s been smart, not putting pressure on him. He wants to get ready for Wimbledon, especially after losing that tough final to Sinner last year.”

Rusedski admits it’s unsettling that Alcaraz is missing Paris, which means four and a half weeks off with the injury. “Is three weeks enough to prep for Wimbledon after that?” he wonders. “Hopefully he’ll be ready for the grass season, but things are really up in the air.”

He also points out that grass courts are a bit easier on the body than clay, with shorter rallies. But weather conditions could change things; hot days make the ball fly faster, cooler days slow it down. Alcaraz will only come back if he’s totally fit. Rusedski hopes that happens.

“He needs to focus on the bigger picture. He’s got his whole career ahead of him, and a wrist injury now could haunt him, just like it did Juan Martin del Potro, who never came back the same.”

Alcaraz is just 22, but the choices he makes in the next few weeks could shape his entire career. Wrist problems are every tennis player’s nightmare.

Jannik Sinner, the world number one, barely broke a sweat as he rolled past Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5, locking in a Madrid Open quarter-final spot and stretching his ATP Masters 1000 win streak to 25. They kicked off at 11 a.m., so the heat wasn’t a problem, but Madrid’s allergy situation is brutal right now. Pollen levels are the highest they’ve been in 45 years, and clouds of yellow and white grains keep swirling through the Caja Magica, settling on the courts and bothering anyone with eyes or lungs.

Sinner didn’t look bothered, though. He’s still hunting for his first Madrid trophy, and he wasted zero time taking control. He bagged the first set in just 35 minutes, barely giving Norrie a chance.

Norrie, seeded 19th, tried to flip the script in set two. He withstood some early pressure but then dropped serve for 3-2 after a misjudged underarm serve that didn’t clear the net. Fans let out a chorus of boos. To his credit, Norrie broke right back and got things back on level terms at 3-3, keeping some hope alive.

The Brit dug in until the tenth game, but then a double fault gave Sinner two break points. Norrie fought both off but couldn’t save a third. Sinner converted and went up 6-5.

That was basically the end. Sinner stayed cool and finished things off in an hour and 26 minutes.

Afterwards, Sinner was satisfied. “I’m happy with my performance. I tried to play more aggressively, and I think it worked really well today against a tough opponent. Glad to get through in straight sets and ready for the next round.”

Up next, Sinner faces either Czech player Vit Kopriva or 19-year-old Madrid native Rafa Jodar, who’s in the draw on a wild card.