Despite injury, Alcaraz confident of defending Indian Wells title; gears up for exhibition match with Nadal
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Feb 22, 2024, 2:35 PM ISTTennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz remains optimistic after suffering an ankle injury at the ATP Rio Open. Despite a grade II lateral sprain, he assures fans that the setback is minor and anticipates a swift return for his Indian Wells title defense.
Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked second in the world, assured that the ankle injury forcing him out of the ATP Rio Open is not severe. He revealed that physiotherapists had initially deemed it non-serious, and subsequent tests on Wednesday confirmed this assessment.
Despite a grade II lateral sprain that will keep him sidelined for a few days, Alcaraz expressed confidence in being ready for his Indian Wells title defense. He plans to participate in an exhibition against Rafael Nadal in Las Vegas after undergoing an MRI on his ankle. Alcaraz shared the diagnosis on Instagram, stating that he looks forward to returning for the exhibition and the Indian Wells tournament.
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The injury occurred during Alcaraz's first-round match against Thiago Monteiro, where he twisted his right foot on the clay surface. Despite initially attempting to continue after a medical timeout and ankle taping, he ultimately decided to withdraw after dropping his serve.
While Alcaraz faces a brief recovery, he is determined to participate in the exhibition match with Nadal on March 3 in Las Vegas, marking Nadal's return after almost a year of injury absence. Indian Wells' main draw begins on March 6, and Alcaraz, last year's champion, aims to defend his title.
The 20-year-old Spaniard has faced various injuries, including an abdominal tear at the Paris Masters in 2022 and hamstring trouble that led to him missing the 2023 Australian Open. Despite setbacks, Alcaraz, the youngest men's world number one, won his second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July.
With Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion, closing in on the world number two ranking, Alcaraz holds a slim lead of 535 points. He faces the challenge of defending 1,000 points at Indian Wells.
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