Decision time is looming for Carlos Alcaraz and he will need up the risk to reward ratio of playing at the US Open.
Alcaraz has not played a competitive tennis match since he injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April, with initial suggestions that his setback was minor swiftly banished as he withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon.
Now Alcaraz is in a race against time to be fit to defend his US Open title later this month, with his decision to withdraw from the upcoming Cincinnati Masters tournament leaving huge question marks over the Spaniard’s fitness levels.
He has posted some positive updates on his social media feed in recent weeks as he has stepped up his recovery with the aim of playing in New York, but the move to pull out of Cincinnati has cast a huge doubt over Alcaraz’s participation at the US Open.
Playing best-of-five-set tennis in his comeback tournament would appear to be a risky plan, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski suggesting Alcaraz would be wise to be cautious instead of rushing a return.
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“You can count the US Open out now. There is no way he’s gonna play in the US Open if he’s missing Cincinnati,” said Rusedski on the latest edition of his podcast.
“I was questioning where he was at a bit when we saw him hitting with juniors, but it looked pretty good with the movement, the strike, the new hairdo. Everything was looking good. Then we get this news.
“If this was just a little bit of inflammation, a little problem, he would be back by now. It’s something a little bit more serious. We don’t know if he’s had a tear, whether it’s something more, whether he’s had a little bit of surgery in there. Who knows what’s happened?
“And the only people who know are Carlos Alcaraz and the rest of his team. But this is taking a lot longer than we thought.
“I think take as long as you need to, even if he misses the rest of the year and then starts up again in 2027.”
Rusedski’s comments have caused a stir among Alcaraz fans, with some suggesting he was negative about their hero.
Yet the experienced former world No 4 is merely urging the 23-year-old Spaniard to be wary of rushing back in his eagerness to avoid missing a third straight Grand Slam tournament.
Alcaraz could have 15 years ahead of him playing in major tournaments, but he could put that longevity at risk by coming back too soon and damaging the wrist problem that is the first significant injury of his career.
Argentine tennis giant Juan Martin del Potro is a player who tried and failed to overcome an ongoing wrist problem, and Alcaraz needs to avoid coming back ahead of time and suffering a setback that could have a more profound impact on his long-term career.
With that in mind, Alcaraz should consider delaying his comeback until he has time to test his wrist in a competitive environment.
Playing best-of-three-set tennis should be a starting point for Alcaraz for what is clearly a serious wrist injury and that means the sensible move would be pulling out of the US Open and playing the long game in a bid to protect his career.
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The post Carlos Alcaraz can only make one decision as he weighs up US Open options appeared first on Tennis365.
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