Carlos Alcaraz has warned that there will likely be a rise in player injuries if the Tour doesn’t address scheduling concerns after moving into the third round of the US Open.
The world No.3 recovered from a set down to defeat Portugal’s Jaime Faria in 2 hours and 40 minutes in the second round at Flushing Meadows. Alcaraz has now won 16 consecutive matches at Grand Slam events, which makes him the youngest player to do so since compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2008. He didn’t play at the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a wrist injury.
Faria was only Alcaraz’s second Tour-level match since April. Speaking to the media afterwards, the Spaniard admitted that he plans to be more careful in the future with his schedule to protect his health.
“Seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don’t want to have this break because of an injury,” he said.
“But in the future, I’m going to take some longer breaks. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments because it’s impossible to play them all.”
Elaborating further, Alcaraz says the rules regarding mandatory tournaments are tough for players, adding that he fears the ‘impossible’ calendar could lead to a rise in injuries. Under current ATP rules, top 30 players are obligated to play four Grand Slams, nine Masters 1000 tournaments, the ATP Finals (if they qualify) and four ATP 500 events during the season unless injured.
“I think they are adding more important tournaments,” he continued.
“In a way they are making us play. You can say, no. You can keep one or two. You can decide your calendar, but there are some Masters 1000s, some Grand Slams, and we’ve been out playing 40 weeks if we got to play every mandatory tournament that the ATP requires us to play.
“It’s impossible, and we are seeing a lot of players getting injured, a lot of players getting tired. If they don’t do anything about it, we are going to see even more in the future.”
As for his current health, Alcaraz says he is gaining confidence on the court following an extensive rehabilitation process. At the US Open, he is bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer to win back-to-back titles.
“I’ve been practicing normally, hitting the forehand with a lot of freedom and without thinking about the wrist,” he explained.
“I know once I step on the court, I just have to go for it every time. I got to feel normal. I’m just feeling great. There is no reason to be afraid and not hitting normal.”
Alcaraz will next play China’s Wu Yibing in the third round. He currently has a win-loss record of 93-13 at major events.
