Carlos Alcaraz reveals he is ‘not 100% comfortable’ despite emphatic victory
Carlos Alcaraz has made a winning return to the ATP Tour, but revealed after the match that he is still not 100% comfortable hitting his forehand.
Alcaraz beat world No.59 Alexander Shevchenko, 6-2 6-1, to win his 11th consecutive match at the Madrid Masters.
It is the Spaniard’s first tournament since the Miami Open last month, with Alcaraz withdrawing from both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open due to an ‘injured pronator teres’ in his right arm.
And the two-time defending Madrid Open champion spoke about how he adapted his game in his opening match, “The last month I just practised slices, volleys and backhands so I think it worked pretty well today.
“That’s something that I was thinking about approaching this match, trying to hit the forehand really softer and trying to be aggressive with the backhand and trying to get to the net as soon as possible and I think I did a really good match in that part.”
When speaking to media after the match, Alcaraz revealed that his arm is not bothering him, but is still not completely comfortable hitting forehands.
“Not at all, but I’m thinking about it,” responded Alcaraz. “It’s not going to leave my mind I think. This Monday was the first [proper] practice I did in a while.”
He continued, “Coming into this week I’ve been doing good things in practice, getting harder let’s say, but today I’m not feeling comfortable playing my forehand 100%. I think playing at this level, I’m really happy to do it and I think I can [still] be competitive.”
Muy feliz de volver a jugar y de hacerlo en un lugar tan especial como Madrid! ❤️ Vamos a por más el domingo! @MutuaMadridOpen pic.twitter.com/vEzwhb7vb6
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) April 26, 2024
Alcaraz will look to continue his winning streak at the Madrid Masters on Sunday, when he takes on Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Inside the baseline…
Carlos Alcaraz looked incredibly impressive yesterday and had the Spaniard not said that he was thinking about his arm then you would never have known. Hopefully this is the sort of injury that will just heal over time, rather than being aggravated by increased matchplay, especially with Roland Garros drawing ever closer.
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