Carlos Alcaraz Retires Hurt from Rio Open Match; Wawrinka Also Out
Carlos Alcaraz,in a turn of events at the Rio Open, was cut short due to a sudden ankle injury, while Stan Wawrinka faced an unexpected defeat. Let’s delve into the details of these developments and their implications for the tournament.
Thiago Monteiro of Brazil went to the second round with the retirement at 1-1. To advance to the quarterfinals, he will take against Felipe Meligeni Alves.
Due to a right ankle injury, two-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz had to leave the Rio Open on Tuesday after just two games.
After just two points in the opening game, Alcaraz twisted his ankle. After getting medical attention, he broke Monteiro’s serve, but when the Brazilian leveled up, he shook his opponent’s hand and walked off the court, raising an eyebrow at his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
According to the Spanish athlete, the injury was deemed not significant by his physicians.
Alcaraz stated, “These things happen, much more so on clay. It wasn’t a legal issue; I was hurt when I changed directions. That takes place on this type of surface.
Alcaraz stated that he experiences pain during his walks and that on Wednesday, he would undergo medical scans.
“I returned to the game to see if I could continue or not. After talking with the on-court physio, we both agreed that I should keep trying to see if this gets better. We decided to exercise prudence and leave because it didn’t happen,” he remarked.
After playing against Alcaraz for such a short period of time, Monteiro stated it was an odd experience.
“It didn’t seem that serious on the court, but when I watched it on the big screen, it was a terrible turn of events. He is a star and a dominant figure in the next generation, so I can only support him in his recovery,” the Brazilian remarked.
Alcaraz finished second in the Rio de Janeiro clay court in the previous year and won it in 2022.
Alcaraz’s subpar efforts at the Argentina Open last week are further compounded by the injury. The 20-year-old, who took home the trophy in 2023, lost to Nicolás Jarry of Chile in the Buenos Aires semifinals.
Earlier, Argentina’s Facundo DÃaz Acosta defeated three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-4 in the opening round. At the Argentina Open on Sunday, 23-year-old DÃaz Acosta defeated Jarry in the championship match to claim his maiden victory.
Rain in Rio de Janeiro caused a nearly two-hour delay for Tuesday’s contest. Sebastián Báez, a fellow countryman, will be Diaz Acosta’s next opponent.
The 38-year-old Wawrinka defeated the top-seeded player in the final of the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2015, and the U.S. Open in 2016.
DÃaz Acosta, who had a career-high rating of 87, participated as a wild-card entry in Argentina. On Monday, he jumped to No. 59.
DÃaz Acosta remarked, “I had to have a lot of patience because of the rain.” “It was incredible to play against Stan; he is a legend.”
