Greg Rusedski is feeling much more optimistic about Carlos Alcaraz’s injury recovery after seeing the Spaniard’s latest training video.
Just under a month ago, the former British No 1 said he was “deeply concerned” by footage the 23-year-old posted of him back on the court as he makes his way back from a wrist injury.
The seven-time major winner did not look like he was ready to be back on the ATP Tour but ahead of his scheduled return at the Cincinnati Masters (13-23 August), Rusedski has since struck a more buoyant tone.
On the latest episode of Off Court with Greg Rusedski, the former US Open finalist said, “He seems to be hitting the ball well, but it looked like he wasn’t hitting with the highest level players.
“It was more juniors and younger players. Time will tell, but much better signs. Fingers crossed he makes it in Cincinnati.”
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Rusedski, who currently coaches Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, was also pleased with how well Alcaraz was moving around the court, going by the short clip he posted.
While the wrist needs to rest and recover during this type of injury, a player can still keep in good physical shape – something Rusedski was quick to point out.
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He added, “The movement looks pretty good because when you have a wrist injury, the good news is you can do a lot of footwork, you can do a lot of movement. You can use that time to get better physically, but you still need to get the reps on court.
“So a lot more optimistic about him coming back, but still, we got to see what happens. We’ve seen what’s happened with Jack Draper. You know, a lot of starts. So fingers crossed, Carlos is back. We need him in the game.”
Alcaraz hasn’t played on the ATP Tour since injuring his wrist back in mid-April at the Barcelona Open.
It remains to be seen how successful the former world No 1 will be on his return to the sport, especially as he attempts to defend his US Open title in a few weeks. And Rusedski thinks just having him back is what the sport desperately needs.
“Carlos is the biggest star in men’s tennis at the moment, the most explosive player. And for me, he’s the guy who transcends our sport, not only tennis, but globally,” he said.
