Carlos Alcaraz‘s clay-court season came to an abrupt end after he suffered a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open. The setback occurred during his first-round clash against Otto Virtanen. Though the Spaniard won the match 6-4, 6-2, it was clear that he wasn’t fully fit. While initially deemed minor, imaging revealed a wrist injury requiring withdrawal from both the Rome Masters and the French Open. Former World No. 1 and compatriot, Rafael Nadal, had a chat with Alcaraz after learning about his injury and offered him a personal piece of advice from experience.

Many felt that Alcaraz shouldn’t have withdrawn from the French Open right away and should have instead tried to recover by the time the Grand Slam arrived. However, Nadal says otherwise and feels that an injury like this needs to be properly treated and the player needs to rest in order to let it fully heal.

“I think he has made the right decisions. Taking into account that he is very young, that he has a whole career ahead of him, and that he is doing the treatment he needs to do, because it is something I know well. After all, I broke it twice, what he has broken now, or the problem he has in his wrist,” he told RNE Deportes.

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Turns out that Nadal had suffered from similar setbacks during his playing career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had to withdraw from his third-round clash against Marcel Granollers at the 2016 French Open due to a wrist injury. He ended up remaining on the sidelines for quite some time before returning at the Rio Olympics. Nadal had then suffered an inflammation on his left wrist in 2019 that had led to him missing out on the Shanghai Masters and the Laver Cup final.

Nadal acknowledged the setback but noted Alcaraz is experienced enough to handle it. “He has enough experience, he is no longer a rookie on the circuit, he knows things happen. Obviously, it is a big setback for him. In his case, he is a very complete player who wins everywhere, but where he can make the biggest difference, in my view, is on clay,” he added.

Nadal hoped the injury wouldn’t become chronic, allowing Alcaraz a strong grass-court return. “So what has happened to him at this time of the year is tough, but he is still very young. Things that today you see as a huge drama, when you put them in perspective, are seen differently, and fortunately, it is an injury that will not be chronic,” he further said.

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Alcaraz, as it will now be a grueling task for him to dethrone Jannik Sinner from the No. 1 position. The Italian just can’t stop winning at the moment and has already clinched four titles this year in comparison to Alcaraz’s two.

Having taken over the rankings with his victory over the Spaniard in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, Sinner has now taken a 1,390-point lead over his rival. The difference will only increase further if the World No. 1 goes on to triumph at the Italian Open as well, where he has already reached the semifinals. Not to mention that Alcaraz will lose 2,000 points for not featuring at Roland Garros, where he is the defending champion.

Alcaraz will be hoping to return to the court as the grass swing commences in June. While many believe that he will be raring to get back into action, the reality seems to be a little different. The Spaniard had recently admitted that he needs some time off the court to look after his mental health as the pressure of constantly playing tennis appears to be getting to him.

Carlos Alcaraz expresses concerns regarding his mental health

It was earlier this year in March during his third-round clash against Sebastian Korda at the Miami Open that things exploded for Alcaraz. Extremely furious with himself, the 22-year-old reached a breaking point and his frustration spilled on the court.

“I can’t take it anymore! It’s non-stop! I want to go home now! I can’t take it anymore! I can’t take it anymore, man! I can’t take it anymore!” he had said before eventually losing 3-6, 7-5, 4-6.

Now, Alcaraz has openly confessed to not taking breaks when he desperately needed to and that resulted in disappointing performances on the court. He has understood his lesson very well and now wants to take care of his body as he prepares to make his return to tennis.

“There’s been times in which I didn’t stop to take a break. And that led to me not playing well, or becoming injured, or… Let’s just leave it at that, that it didn’t end well. I think it’s just as important, or more, than taking care of your body. There’s people who are, fairly so, obsessed with body aesthetics, but to me it’s just as important to take care of your head,” he said during an interview with Vanity Fair.

Will Alcaraz be able to put in solid performances right after making his comeback to the court, or will he have an average results on grass heading into Wimbledon? Let us know what you think in the comments!