Carlos Alcaraz smashed all the injury concerns with his racket ahead of the US Open. The 21-year-old Spaniard is all set to take on Australia’s Li Tu in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday. However, just three days before his opener, he rolled his ankle during the hitting session, cutting short the practice game against Francisco Cerundulo. Initially, the video alarmed fans, but Carlitos himself quickly reassured them.

Not to forget, it is the same right ankle that the Spaniard injured in the first round in Rio in February, causing him to retire and miss a month of action. During the pre-tournament press conference, he was asked whether he was a bit scared about his participation in the year’s last major. In reply, Carlos Alcaraz stated, “I think it is OK. I just stopped my practice just for precaution,” said Alcaraz, who won the US Open title at Flushing Meadows in 2022 for the first of his four Major trophies. “I didn’t feel comfortable enough to keep practising, just in case if everything is going to be worse,” the 21-year-old added.

Alcaraz believes injury won’t affect his US Open participation, but is disappointed about lost practice time. “I don’t want to stop any practice. I want to practice, I want to get better, I want to get ready for the tournament,” he said. The 2022 US Open champ has already won two major titles this year, at the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July. Can he extend the tally to three? “I’m sure that tomorrow, or in two days, I’m going to be at 100%, for sure,” Carlitos added, igniting a hope of a third major this year.

His precautionary step to not extend his injuries is quite understandable now, but the fans are also a bit worried after seeing his recent form on hard courts. What does Alcaraz have to say about this?

“I’m not worried” – Carlos Alcaraz keeps all the worries aside ahead of the US Open

Alcaraz’s preparation for the US Open has been less than ideal. He played just one hard-court match in the lead-up to the tournament, a loss to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open that saw Alcaraz vent his frustration by smashing his racket. Despite the lack of hard-court practice, Alcaraz remains unfazed.

While he would have preferred more preparation, he points to his success at the French Open and Wimbledon this year as evidence that he can excel on different surfaces, even with limited practice. “I don’t want to think that it’s going to be the same [as] the previous two Grand Slams,” he said with a smile, “but I’m not worried about not having too many matches on hard courts.” What do experts think about the favorites of the 2024 US Open?

Well, Alcaraz has featured in some of their picks. For example, Tim Henma said, “I would put Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz down as the joint favorite.” On this note, even Djokovic had to cut short his practice session with Holger Rune recently due to some discomfort.

We hope they will be 100% fit before their first match. Laura Robson, however, said, “I’d probably go with Alcaraz, but I don’t know.” Another former British tennis player, Naomi Cavaday, also chose Carlos Alcaraz as one of the favorites in this tournament.

We’ve already seen Alcaraz doing a Cristiano Ronaldo trademark “Siuuu” celebration after scoring in a fun free-kick game at the iconic stadium of the US Open. Will we see him do the same after clinching his second US Open title?