Teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz announced on Sunday his decision to skip the Rome Masters 1000 event due to an ankle injury. He aims to rest up to recover in time for the French Open later this month.
Alcaraz twisted his ankle in the Quarterfinals of the Madrid Open against compatriot Rafael Nadal. He resisted the pain to overcome Nadal and Novak Djokovic back to back and beat Alexander Zverev in the final to win his 2nd Masters 1000 title.
“Due to the fall that I had, the ankle, I had a problem and this morning it was a little more swollen. Also I had a blister in my feet which was a little bit infected and it’s been a little bit tough start to the day,” Alcaraz told reporters.
“I thought about it (playing in Rome). I think that given the state of my feet and my ankle, I’m really excited for fighting for a Grand Slam. I think that it’s better to rest, to recover my ankle, recover my feet, to be in Paris at 100%.”
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Carlos had beaten Zverev 6-3 6-1 in just 62 minutes in the final to win his 4th title of the year. The win will move Alcaraz up to No.6 in the rankings.
Zverev said the young Spaniard is now the “best player in the world”. Carlos Alcaraz, however, maintained that, “Djokovic is number one in the ranking. Because I have won Barcelona and I have beaten Djokovic and Rafa in Madrid, I don’t consider myself the best player in the world”.
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