At ATP Finals in Turin, there was supposed to be a palpable excitement in the air, rather than worries, with Carlos Alcaraz along with Jannik Sinner at the center. However, things didn’t turn out the way it was anticipated. Alcaraz would not only compete, but with a blocked nose. However, the Spaniard was seen wearing a fuchsia nasal strip to improve his breathing. But his condition appears to be deteriorating.

On Saturday, Alcaraz, 21, shared the practice court with fellow ATP Finals competitor Taylor Fritz for a brief session. The Spaniard, who has been struggling with nasal congestion, wore a nasal strip for about an hour during the practice, provided by his physio, Juanjo Moreno. Today, a Carlos Alcaraz fan, with the username fvaeey, uploaded an on-court footage, with a worrying caption, “guys:(.”

Back in 2022, the current world No.3 withdrew from  from the Nitto ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals due to an internal oblique muscle tear in his left abdominal wall, ending his season. Although last year he was able to participate in the tournament, Carlos was ousted by Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Before the tournament, Alcaraz told Eurosport, “Last year was a difficult end of the year for me. I could not play at my best.”

This all comes at a time when everyone was hoping to see Carlos Alcaraz clash with Sinner for the year-end title. In case the health concerns become normal, Alcaraz’s primary challenger could be home favorite Jannik Sinner, who, after winning the Australian Open and US Open, is the top contender for the title. Alexander Zverev, Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev will also be vying for the trophy.

Though Alcaraz may turn things around against Ruud, that is easier said than done. However, Alcaraz came to ATP with just one goal in mind: to win. “I come here with the goal to win… want to put this trophy next to the others and it is a good goal. I am playing against the best players in the world, so I need to play my best,”– he remarked at the press conference ahead of the tournament. How could he complete this goal with a blocked nose?

Could Carlos Alcaraz put all the learning from the season to use despite the blocked nose?

It’s rare to see Carlos Alcaraz struggling on the court. The Spaniard touted to carry the best of all the Big 3 players has developed a strong game. However, he did struggle during the Olympics finals against Novak Djokovic. Despite putting all the effort and learnings to use, and pushing the Serbian Ace to multiple deuce in the 1st set, Alcaraz was unable to push Djokovic to despair and had to settle for silver. Though this was not the only loss faced by Alcaraz this season, it was one of the most painful losses for the Spaniard, in addition to the Australian Open and the US Open.

Opening up about his loss and journey at the ATP Finals, he said, “I learned a lot this year. I know myself more as a person and a player: what I need to do, what I need, on and off the court. Some of my losses this year were really painful for me: what I have to do, to train on days off. It is not only a goal on the court but also what you have to do on days off: how many days to take before going to the tournament, before it starts to prepare as best.”

Despite the blocked nose, could Carlos Alcaraz turn things around with his strategic game, leveraging all the experience from the past and pushing himself toward the win? Only time will tell, but one thing we certainly know about the Spaniard is to never discount him for short!