2024-02-21 07:04:00
Carlos Alcaraz will have tests on the ankle injury that forced him to retire two games into his Rio Open first-round match.
The world number two required medical attention following twisting his ankle during only the second point of the match once morest Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro.
The 20-year-old Spaniard returned to the court and managed to break his opponent’s serve in the opening game.
But the two-time major winner retired following Monteiro immediately broke back.
“Tomorrow I’ll have a test for my ankle and let’s see if it’s something serious or not,” said Alcaraz, Rio champion in 2022 and runner-up at the tournament last year.
“I felt bad. That was the first impression I had. I was feeling pain once I fell down, so I thought it was going to be difficult to continue if I was still having those feelings.
“After a few points it didn’t feel better. I mightn’t move well and I knew that it was going to be impossible to continue.
“I thought it was going to get worse if I kept playing for such a long match and that’s why I chose to retire.”
Reigning Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is due to face compatriot and 23-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in The Netflix Slam on 3 March.
He will then hope to be fit enough to defend his Indian Wells title next month.
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