Carlos Alcaraz is facing a race against time to bit fit to defend his French Open title next month and he has been given some candid advice by a former Grand Slam finalists who has urged the Spaniard to show some caution.
Alcaraz is nursing a wrist problem that he picked up playing at the Barcelona Open and has admitted he is weighing up whether he will have time to recover to play at Roland Garros.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion will be reluctant to miss the second major of 2026, but former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski believes he needs to be careful with his next decision.
At the age of 22, Alcaraz needs to avoid any threat of a wrist injury becoming a long-term problem and Rusedski suggests he may be wise to skip the French Open and ensure he is fully fit for the long-term if there are any question marks over an are of the body that is always a major area of concern for tennis players.
“He needs to look at the long-term picture and say I’ve got a 10-year career,” said Rusedski on the latest episode of his podcast.
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“He can’t afford to have a wrist injury that is serious. Look at Juan Martin del Potro, one of the greats of our game. He never solved his wrist problem and never came back to the player he once was.
“So take your time, make sure it’s 100 per-cent ready to go. Don’t rush it back. So I don’t think he really overall cares about the ranking points. It’s about health is your wealth.
“The four majors are what really define you as a great of the game. He’s already won seven. He’s only three away from 10 already at such a young age, which is incredible.
“I heard there’s rumors in Monte Carlo in the finals he wasn’t feeling his best with the wrist. Maybe had a little niggle there and sometimes he pushed through and that’s normal to have niggles, aches, pains in certain areas.
“He did the right thing to pull out of Barcelona with the injury and if I look at this picture, even if he misses the French, it’s not such a big deal.”
Rusedski went on to compare the scheduling plan being followed by world No 1 Jannik Sinner and his great rival Alcaraz.
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Sinner looks to take breaks between events, while Alcaraz played back-to-back tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona before picking up his injury.
“You look at Jannik Sinner and this guy has got great scheduling,” he added. “His preparations are always perfect. He’s always the first one to the tournament and when he plays he’s ready to go. He’s had very few injuries. He manages his body well but also you got two different personalities.
“You look at Carlos, he loves to have a good time. He likes to go out and partying. He likes to go on his boat.
“Sinner’s more relaxed, more focused on the tennis, more serious about his recuperation. One of the key ingredients is sleep, relaxation, and time away. And that’s what the best players balance out so well. And if you can’t do that, then you get these niggles, these pains, and these injuries, and it’s finding that balance.”
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