Highlights: Emotional wins for Eala and Dimitrov as Princess Kate and Sir Andy Murray watch on
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It was the social media clip all Alcaraz fans had been waiting for, with the millions of views telling its own story.On Sunday, the Spanish star posted a video of him once again hitting tennis balls using his right hand, the first time anyone has seen that since April 13, his last competitive outing at the Barcelona Open.
The 23-year-old beat Finland’s Otto Virtanen in the Round of 32 in Catalonia, but was unable to play his next match in that spring tournament.
“I felt my wrist give out on a return during the match,” Alcaraz said.
“After the tests, we saw that it’s a more serious injury than any of us expected, and I have to listen to my body so it doesn’t affect me in the future.
“I have to go home to start my recovery as soon as possible with my team – the doctors, and the physical therapist – and get, or try to get, as healthy as possible as soon as possible for the tournaments I have coming up.”
It was an ominous statement, with immediate fears as to the nature of the injury, with tennis fans having already seen wrist injuries be responsible for the demise of Grand Slam champions such as Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem.
Any hopes it might be a short lay-off were extinguished when Alcaraz announced he would not play at Roland-Garros, before later declaring he would be unable to play Wimbledon too.
Updates on his wrist thereafter have been few and far between, but this latest footage of his famous right-handed forehand in action whets the appetite for a return.
With decisions around wrist injuries taken with a huge amount of caution, when that may be is still in doubt, with the US Open looking too close, but Alcaraz has nominally signed up for September’s Laver Cup in London.
Beyond his injury, it remains to be seen whether he can come back at his top tennis level too, with plenty of catch-up to do on Jannik Sinner as fans await the next chapter of their engrossing duopoly.
How has Alcaraz spent his summer?
During his near three months and counting away from tennis, Alcaraz has kept himself plenty busy.
While he may not have competed at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz – in a conspicuous cast – was nonetheless able to watch his younger brother Jaime play in the Under-16 tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz watches brother Jaime at the Madrid Open.
Image credit: Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz watches brother Jaime at the Madrid Open.
Image credit: Getty Images
He has also attended a Bad Bunny concert, celebrated his 23rd birthday and saw Paris Hilton fly into his social media comments about a yacht.
He has, though, been working hard to keep up his fitness too, often being seen out running on the road or on the track.
And when on court, Alcaraz has been developing a remarkable ability to play a backhand without using his right hand.
Alcaraz’s taste for American sport has also been in evidence, being pictured in LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors playing vests.
He has, most recently, reportedly spent some days in Ischia, Italy on holiday.
Come the autumn, his fans will hope he has rather less free time and that he comes back to thrill the sport where he has already made such an indelible impression.
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