Tennis: Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz packages for Monte-Carlo


Injured, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz announced on Tuesday, almost simultaneously, that they were giving up the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo (April 9-16), depriving the first major clay-court tournament of the year of two of the main players. poster of the season on ocher which will culminate at Roland-Garros (May 29-June 11). “I’m not ready to compete at the highest level yet, I won’t be able to play in one of the most important tournaments of my career, Monte-Carlo”, tweeted Nadal, ex-world number 1 who fell to 14th place. of ATP.

“After two months of competition, I’m happy to go home, but sad because I finished my semi-final in Miami with injuries. After seeing my doctor (…), I will not be in able to go to Monte-Carlo to start the season on clay”, chained a few minutes later Alcaraz (2nd in the world).

Auger-Aliassime also forfeited

In the process, the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (7th) in turn gave up the Monte-Carlo tournament, which until then boasted of receiving the entire Top 20 in the world. The package of Nadal, who has not played on the circuit since his defeat in the second round of the Australian Open on January 18, is not a huge surprise. His latest statements and the videos showing him in training – with trips far from the expected liveliness left him fearful.

In Melbourne, he felt a sharp pain in the second set against MacKenzie McDonald but went to the end of the match when he had the greatest difficulty in moving. In the process, he announced an unavailability of six to eight weeks and drew a line under the first Masters 1000 of the year, in Indian Wells and Miami.

Nadal already absent last year on the Rock

“I am not yet able to play with the maximum guarantees and I continue my preparation hoping to return soon”, admits the 36-year-old Spaniard, holder of the record of eleven titles in the Principality. “Thank you for everything Rafa Nadal, hoping to see you again next year”, tweeted the organization of the Monegasque tournament in reference to the approach of the end of the career of the king of clay.

Already last year, Nadal had missed the Monte-Carlo tournament. Defeated and injured in the Indian Wells final, he did not return to competition until early May in Madrid where he lost to Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, then lost in the round of 16 in Rome before winning Roland-Roland for the 14th time. Garros and bring the record for Grand Slam titles to 22, a record equaled in Australia by Novak Djokovic. He still has the tournaments in Barcelona (April 17-23), Madrid (April 26-May 7) and Rome (May 10-21) to prepare for the French Open.

For his part, Alcaraz had missed the first Grand Slam tournament in January through injury, but he came back strong in March. He had chained titles at the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires, the ATP 500 in Rio and the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells before losing in the semis in Miami against one of his great generational opponents, Jannik. Sinner, when he seemed on the way to the “Double in the sun”.

A more open picture for Djokovic

Having crushed the competition in California without losing a single set, he had indeed arrived in the last four in Florida without having lost a single round either. But he could not pass the Italian obstacle. “I have post-traumatic arthritis in my left hand and muscle discomfort in my back that requires rest to prepare for whatever is yet to come,” he said Tuesday.

Last season, Alcaraz established itself in March as one of the ogres of the year: after reaching the last four in Indian Wells, he won Miami. But he arrived on the Côte d’Azur visibly tired and lost to the American Sebastian Korda as soon as he entered the running in the second round on Monegasque soil. A few months later, and after a title at the US Open, he became the youngest world number 1 in history.

This cascade of packages in Monte-Carlo opens up prospects for the rest of the table, starting with Novak Djokovic, back on the world throne on Monday without having been able to play in the United States for lack of anti-covid vaccination. While his opponents left their strength on the American hard courts, the 35-year-old Serb has had plenty of time to refine his preparation on clay and awaits all these little people with a firm footing by aiming for a third title.





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