Alcaraz’s ankle issue forces him to leave his Rio Open match injured. Wawrinka is not playing.
Rio de Janeiro — Due to a right ankle injury, two-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz had to leave the Rio Open on Tuesday after just two games.
Thiago Monteiro of Brazil went to the second round with the retirement at 1-1. To advance to the quarterfinals, he will play Felipe Meligeni Alves, a fellow countryman.
After just two points in the opening game, Alcaraz injured his ankle. After breaking Monteiro’s serve and receiving medical care, he shook his opponent’s hand and walked off the court while his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, appeared worried.
According to the Spanish athlete, the injury was deemed not significant by his physicians.
Alcaraz stated, “These things happen, much more so on clay. It wasn’t a legal issue; I was hurt when I changed directions. That takes place on this type of surface.
Alcaraz stated that he has discomfort during his walks and that on Wednesday, he would undergo medical scans.
“I returned to the game to check if I could continue or not. After talking with the on-court physio, we both agreed that I should keep trying to see if this gets better. We decided to exercise prudence and leave because it didn’t happen,” he remarked.
After playing against Alcaraz for such a short period of time, Monteiro stated it was an odd experience.
“It didn’t seem that serious on the court, but when I watched it on the big screen, it was a terrible turn of events. The Brazilian remarked, “As a celebrity and a dominating figure in the next generation, I can only support him in his recovery.
Alcaraz finished second in the Rio de Janeiro clay court in the previous year and won it in 2022.
Alcaraz’s subpar efforts in the Argentina Open last week are further compounded by the injury. The 20-year-old, who took home the trophy in 2023, lost to Nicolás Jarry of Chile in the Buenos Aires quarterfinals.
