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Title: Alcaraz Forced to Retire After Nasty Ankle Injury in First-Round Clash
In a shocking turn of events, rising tennis star Carlos Alcaraz suffered a devastating ankle injury just two points into his first-round match against Thiago Monteiro. The 18-year-old phenom found himself at the back of the court when disaster struck. Attempting to change direction swiftly, his right foot got entangled in the ground, causing him to roll his ankle.
The young player collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, and it took him some time to regain his composure and stand up. Seeking immediate medical attention, Alcaraz was assisted by ATP physio Alejandro Resnicoff, who expertly strapped his injured ankle.
Despite his valiant efforts to continue, the world No 2 eventually succumbed to the pain. After breaking Monteiro’s serve, the Brazilian retaliated and broke back, leveling the score at 1-1. With only 10 minutes of actual play in the 18-minute match, Alcaraz made the difficult decision to retire, walking to the net and shaking Monteiro’s hand as a sign of concession.
Speaking about his unfortunate exit, Alcaraz expressed his concerns about the severity of his injury. “Tomorrow, I’ll undergo tests on my ankle to determine the extent of the damage,” he shared. “I felt terrible. The pain was immediate after the fall, and I knew it would be challenging to continue playing with such discomfort.”
As the match progressed, Alcaraz’s condition only worsened. The pain persisted, hindering his movement on the court. Realizing that pushing through would only exacerbate his injury, he made the difficult but necessary choice to retire. “I feared that prolonging the match would only make matters worse,” he explained.
While Alcaraz managed to leave the court without crutches, his limping was evident as he made his way to the locker rooms. The young Spaniard, a two-time Grand Slam winner, has had a mixed start to the 2024 season, with a quarter-final exit at the Australian Open and a semi-final loss at the Argentina Open last week. His next scheduled event is the Indian Wells Open in March.
Monteiro, who now holds a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head battles, expressed his sympathy for Alcaraz. “It’s such a bizarre situation. It happened just moments into the match,” the world No 117 remarked. “Initially, it didn’t seem too serious on the court, but when I saw the replay on the big screen, it was a gruesome twist. My thoughts are with him, and I hope he makes a swift recovery. He’s a shining star and a force to be reckoned with in the new generation of tennis.”
According to the Source tennis365.com