What is Carlos Alcaraz’s injury? The inflamed wrist that could keep him out of Roland Garros

The question on everyone’s mind right now is will Carlos Alcaraz play in the French Open after the Spaniard suffered a wrist injury.

The World No 2 was forced to pull out of the Barcelona Open and any notion that it is a minor injury was soon ruled out when he was spotted with a full splint around his right wrist.

And now according to Spanish TV show El Partido de COPE, Alcaraz has picked up an inflamed tendon sheath.

“In the sheath of the tendon, which is inflamed,” Angel Ga Muñiz said. “His wrist has been immobilised for four days, since last Friday. And that test, that decisive test, that key test that Carlos Alcaraz talks about is a follow-up ultrasound.

“The first one was done right after the injury in Barcelona. At that very moment, the decision was already made that Madrid was impossible and it was already suspected that Rome would also be very difficult, and they were dreaming about Roland Garros. Now that dream seems a bit further away.

“Everything depends on what comes out in that follow-up ultrasound, on whether the inflammation has gone down, on whether that sheath that protects the tendon is better. But obviously Rome now seems absolutely impossible, and Roland Garros looks bad.

“Does that mean he’s not going to play? No. Alcaraz wants to dream that he can be there and that, obviously, a tournament he’s won the last two editions of well deserves a certain risk — but not a risk that would put the rest of the season and the rest of his career at risk.”

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The tendon sheaths are synovial-lined, fluid-filled tunnels that cover tendons, lubricating them and protecting them from friction against bone, particularly during hand movement. Inflammation of that area, also known as tenosynovitis, can be painful given how frequently the wrist moves and makes it harder to use your hand as you normally would.

Continuing to play while having such an injury could lead to worsening conditions such as tendon rupture or in extreme cases, death of the tendon tissues.

To treat it, a player must reduce any stress on the tendon – which is why Alcaraz has been wearing a splint – as well as applying hot or cold to the area to reduce inflammation. In some cases, surgery may be required.

A normal person should be back to full fitness in a couple of weeks, but tennis players are putting much more stress on that area. Alcaraz has insisted he will not rush back into playing if it risks his longer-term career.

“I’d rather come back a little later but in great shape than come back early, rushing around, and unwell,” Alcaraz told Spanish television channel TVE.

“God willing, I have a very long career ahead of me – many years – and pushing myself too hard at this Roland Garros could seriously harm me in future tournaments.

“Things happen in the professional world. You have to accept them.

“I need to recover really well if I don’t want it to affect me later on.”

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