"Each player is responsible for himself" - Andrey Rublev on Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev's injury struggles at Madrid Open
Andrey Rublev has weighed in on the injury issues plaguing players at the 2024 Madrid Open, sharing his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev's struggles.
The men's section of the Madrid Open draw fell apart as the top three seeds, namely Alcaraz, Sinner and Medvedev, grappled with injury concerns that significantly hampered their campaigns.
After forgoing his title defense at the Barcelona Open due to an arm injury, Carlos Alcaraz returned to action at the Masters 1000 event, aiming for a three-peat in Madrid.
However, Rublev thwarted the Spaniard's aspirations, beating him 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Following his loss, the World No. 3 opened up about struggling with "soreness" throughout his body, particularly his forearm.
Jannik Sinner also faced a setback as he sustained a hip injury during his run, making the decision to withdraw from the tournament before his quarterfinal clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev's semifinal showdown against Jiri Lehecka was derailed when the Russian suffered a groin injury in the first set, forcing him to retire mid-match.
Andrey Rublev, who is set to take on Auger-Aliassime in the Madrid Open final, shared his thoughts on the injury woes plaguing the aforementioned trio. The Russian highlighted the inherent "risk" associated with competing, especially when a player was not at their best.
He also emphasized that players are ultimately responsible for themselves, possessing the awareness of when to push their bodies and when to exercise caution.
"Whenever you jump onto a court, to train or play, there is a risk. When training you already go with a lot of intensity, so there is always risk. I think it all depends on the moment," he said in a press conference after his semifinal win.
"When you feel good, physically you also feel good and there is less chance of something happening to you. When you are tired or things are not going well for you, you have problems with your body. Each tennis player is responsible for himself and knows where he should push more or less," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of Italian Open 2024 due to injury; Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev's participation in doubt
Carlos Alcaraz recently announced his decision to pull out of the 2024 Italian Open, disclosing that he has a "muscle edema" in his ponator teres after exacerbating his forearm injury at the Madrid Open.
"I felt some pain after playing in Madrid, some discomfort in my arm. Today I did some tests and I have a muscle edema in my pronator teres, a consequence of my recent injury," Carlos Alcaraz wrote on social media.
"Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Rome. I need to rest so I can recover and play 100% pain free. I am very sorry, I will see you next year," he added.
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev also put his Rome participation in doubt, saying that he would take the call after undergoing tests to determine the severity of his injury.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner's participation in his home Masters 1000 event also remains uncertain, as the World No. 2 is yet to confirm his appearance amid concerns about his hip injury.