UNDERSTANDING TENOSYNOVITIS: WHY ALCARAZ’S WRIST INJURY MIRRORS THE STRUGGLES OF PEAK RAFAEL NADAL
Tennis injury alert: Greg Rusedski warns Carlos Alcaraz against rushing his return to the court to avoid a permanent tear.
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 CRUISES PAST NORRIE IN MADRID; EXTENDS DOMINANT MASTERS 1000 STREAK TO 25
Jannik Sinner stays perfect at Masters events, moving past Cameron Norrie in Madrid as he hunts for his first tournament win.
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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.
COCO GAUFF BATTLES THROUGH ILLNESS, VOMITING ON COURT TO ADVANCE PAST SORANA CIRSTEA
Coco Gauff battled a severe stomach virus to defeat Sorana Cirstea. See how she survived the illness sweeping the Madrid Open.
Coco Gauff caught the stomach bug that’s been knocking players out left and right at the Madrid Open. Even so, she somehow pulled out a win over Sorana Cirstea, grinding through three sets – 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 – on April 26 to book her spot in the round of 16.
It’s been a rough week in Madrid. Players keep dropping from illness; just ask Iga Swiatek, who had to stop mid-match against Ann Li on April 25, or Marin Cilic, who withdrew before his second-rounder with Joao Fonseca the day before. Liudmila Samsonova didn’t even make it to the court for her third-round match with Linda Noskova; she pulled out sick, too.
Gauff, just 22, threw up into a courtside bin during her match with Cirstea. She called for a medical timeout late in the fight but pushed through, finishing after two hours and 21 minutes.
“Yeah, I don’t know, honestly,” she said afterwards, still sounding a bit dazed. “I was just trying to finish the match, and one point turned into another. I think I picked up what everyone else has here in Madrid. So I’m just going to try to hang on for tomorrow.”
Gauff finished runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka here last year. With her clay season full of points to defend (3,300 from Madrid through the French Open), there’s a lot on her plate and not much time (Roland Garros starts May 24).
“I pulled out at Indian Wells. I really hate retiring, so I didn’t want to do that again today. I’m glad I could tough it out,” said Gauff, who already has two Grand Slam trophies at home.
“I started to feel better, at least not on the verge of throwing up anymore. They gave me some medicine, so that helped.
“But honestly, I was so tired... At first, I was just trying not to throw up the little food I ate. After the meds, I was just wiped out and still nauseous. But I can play like that.”
