The Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz, world number three, did not want to fully confirm his participation in the Madrid Masters 1000, but stated that “if the sensations continue like this, I will probably jump on the court.”
“I don’t want to take things for granted 100%, because I already did that in Barcelona. When I withdrew from Monte Carlo, I said that I would be able to make it to Barcelona, but I couldn’t, and it was painful,” explained Alcaraz on the media day of the Madrid tournament, where he has already trained.
“Right now, I don’t want to take anything for granted, but if the sensations continue like this, I will probably jump on the court,” added the Spanish tennis player, who would begin his clay season in the Spanish capital.
The winner of two Grand Slams could not be in Monte Carlo due to a problem in his forearm, which also prevented him from being in the Barcelona tournament last week.
“There are still days left for my first match. Today I have trained with more intensity, things have gone quite well, with good sensations,” specified the Spanish tennis player.
“I don’t want to rush, I don’t want to get into trouble with myself in the sense of saying that I’m going to play at my 100% and I’m going to win because I still don’t know,” he added, before stating that, in his situation, “even playing three or four matches, I would also be happy.”
The draw has revealed that Alcaraz would not face Rafa Nadal until a hypothetical final, something that the Murcian sees as difficult for now, given the state of both tennis players.
“We can imagine many things. Obviously, it would be something very big to be able to play the final with Rafa here in Madrid,” acknowledged Alcaraz, “but, in the end, tennis is complicated, every day you can feel differently, every match is a world, you can never take anything for granted or take anything for granted.”
Accustomed to always being a favorite, Alcaraz pointed to the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Norwegian Casper Ruud, and the Italian Jannik Sinner as the main aspirants in the Caja Mágica.
Tsitsipas and Ruud “are in a very good moment. They are in good shape right now… Final in Monte Carlo, final in Barcelona, two big tournaments, the first on clay and playing at a high level,” he commented.
“Sinner is also in a very good moment of form,” added the Spanish tennis player, before stating that the three “are the players to beat on clay right now.”
