Alcaraz uncertain about Madrid title defence due to arm injury

MADRID: World number three Carlos Alcaraz has cast doubt on his Madrid Open title defence later this month as the Spaniard nurses a right arm injury that has forced him to miss key tune-up events for the French Open.

The 20-year-old successfully defended his Indian Wells title last month and then reached the Miami Open quarter-finals before sustaining the injury in his first practise session for the Monte Carlo Masters.

The two-times Grand Slam champion was unable to play in Monaco and then had to pull out of the Barcelona Open. “My feeling isn’t right, but it is what it is. Now I’m fully focused on recovery and I have a little more time,” Alcaraz told reporters in Barcelona on Monday, a day after he decided not to defend his title.

“My goal is to try and go to the Madrid Open, but at the moment nothing is certain. I was given specific recovery times and I’ve respected them, but I haven’t felt good. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

“I can’t say I’ll be 100% in Madrid, but that’s my intention. We’ll train and do everything we can so that the feelings improve so I can play a match ... It’s also a very special tournament for me.” Should he be unable to recover in time for the April 24-May 5 Masters tournament in Madrid, Alcaraz could still get some claycourt action in ahead of the French Open by competing in Rome the following week.

The main draw at the year’s second Grand Slam at Roland Garros begins on May 26. Alcaraz reached the semi-finals last year.