"Rafael Nadal part 2";"His Netflix series is gonna be 90% in hospital???" - Fans react to Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from Italian Open with injury
Days after experiencing a setback in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open, Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the forthcoming Italian Open.
Alcaraz's recent run on the claycourt was not what he was hoping for. First, the Spaniard pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters in April, even before starting the tournament, due to an "injured pronator teres." Later on, he also missed the Barcelona Open, being a defending champion in the tournament.
Alcaraz managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open but was knocked out by Andrey Rublev and missed the chance to win the tournament for a third consecutive time. On Friday, the Spaniard announced his withdrawal from the Italian Open citing "muscle edema" in his pronator teres.
"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," Alcaraz wrote on social media.
Now, the update has spawned worries among fans.
"Rafa part 2 incoming," one fan wrote comparing his injury concerns to that of Rafael Nadal.
"Aww, that’s awful news. Wishing Carlos a speedy recovery. He is a nice guy" wrote another fan.
"Get well soon, Carlos" another fan chimed in.
However, one fan sarcastically wrote that Alcaraz's upcoming Netflix series might revolve mostly around his time in the hospital, referring to the Spaniard's continuous run-ins with injuries over the last couple of years.
"Hope he gives himself the necessary time to recover and he isn’t pushed into things, tennis is better with Carlitos fit!" one fan commented.
"He has to rest his arm. I know he wants to play but he's young still. Plenty of play time AFTER he gives his muscle plenty of time to heal," another user remarked.
Carlos Alcaraz is not the only player with injury concerns
Alcaraz was one of the pre-tournament favorites, along with Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner for the Madrid Open 2024. However, top seed Sinner had to withdraw during the tournament due to a hip injury. On the other hand, the Russian decided to retire from the quarterfinal match due to a groin injury.
During the match against Lehecka, the Russian received off-court medical attention and took another medical time-out. Now that both Sinner and Medvedev have shown injury concerns along with Alcaraz, the chances of their participation in the Italian Open look slim.