While Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist injury might be worse than first thought, fans should not fear.
On Wednesday, the reigning Australian Open champion announced on Instagram that he would not partake in the grasscourt swing, missing his second straight Grand Slam by skipping Wimbledon.
“My recovery is going well and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to compete, which is why I have to withdraw from the grasscourt swing,” he said.
However, if Alcaraz recovers in the right way, 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is confident the world No.2 will return stronger than ever.
“For Carlos, he’s feeling that he lost two Grand Slams, a couple of Masters 1000s [due to his injury], it’s a tough moment,” said Nadal on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, which he joined to discuss his upcoming Netflix documentary Rafa.
“But in some way, the good thing is he has an injury that he will recover 100 percent if he does the proper things and I’m sure he is doing the proper things.”
Nadal speaks from experience, having suffered the same injury as Alcaraz twice throughout his career – once in 2014 and once in 2016 – and withdrawing from three Grand Slams as a result.
One of those was Roland Garros in 2016, where Nadal withdrew ahead of his third-round match. Yet he responded emphatically, winning on his return to Roland Garros 12 months later for his 15th Grand Slam title, then winning another seven majors before he retired in 2024.
Though a speedy return to play could be tempting for Alcaraz given the recent success he's been enjoying, Nadal believes there is no rush, with time on the 23-year-old’s side.
“The main thing is he has already achieved a lot, that gives him some calm,” Nadal said.
“He has plenty of years in front of him and it’s about listening to that from somebody like me that went through all of these things, I think that gives you some positiveness in the tough moments.”
Nadal’s wrist injury was one of many setbacks the Spaniard had to overcome throughout his 24-year professional career. Yet he looks back at his career with fond memories.
“I am very proud about my tennis career especially because of the longevity and all of the things that I went through to be able to keep playing tennis," he said.
"I really had the right work ethic and determination to always find a way to be competitive and today I’ve finished my career and I’m at peace.
“Of course I went through a lot of pain, but I remember my career in a positive way and tennis gave me a lot.”