Madrid champ Alcaraz to skip Rome Masters due to ankle injury
Newly crowned Madrid Open champion Carlos Alcaraz said on Sunday he has decided to skip the Rome Masters to recover from an ankle injury ahead of the French Open later this month.
Alcaraz, who flipped his ankle in the quarter-finals in Madrid, overcame pain to beat the top three – Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev – to claim his second Masters title after his 19th birthday. his.
“Due to a fall, my ankle was already in trouble and this morning it was a little more swollen. Also, I have a blister on my foot, it’s a bit infected, and the start of the day was a bit rough,” Alcaraz told reporters.
“It was very difficult for me to walk, but after a while with my teammates, fitness, and doctors, we tried to overcome to do something to be able to get 100% like today.
“I thought about it (playing in Rome). I think with the condition of my foot and ankle, I’m really excited to fight for a Grand Slam. I think it’s better to rest, let the ankle heal, maybe stay in Paris 100%. ”
Alcaraz beat Zverev 6-3 6-1 in just 62 minutes in the final and his fourth singles title of the year would take him up to sixth in the standings.
Zverev said the young Spaniard is currently “the best player in the world” but Alcaraz has not surpassed himself.
“Djokovic is number one in the rankings. Because I won Barcelona and I beat Djokovic and Rafa in Madrid, I don’t consider myself the best tennis player in the world,” he said.
“I also think tomorrow I’ll be sixth, so I still have five players ahead of me to be the best.”
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