Mystery about super teen Alcaraz

class=”sc-97fd9fa8-0 jNFKxv”>

The list of absentees from Indian Wells is long and prominent. In addition to Novak Djokovic, who is still fatal due to the lack of corona vaccination, Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios, Marin Cilic and up-and-coming local hero Sebastian Korda are also missing. For a long time it was unclear whether the name Carlos Alcaraz would be missing from the field of participants of the ATP 1000 tournament. The 19-year-old Spaniard, who became the youngest number one in the world last year thanks to his US Open title, has been struggling with muscle problems lately.

First he missed the Australian Open due to a thigh injury, then he had to give up for the tournament in Acapulco due to the same injury. In between, he stormed to the tournament victory in Buenos Aires and only got a floor (clearly battered) in the final in Rio de Janeiro. So the shape this spring is right. But how does his body cooperate?

Sample weeks for the chest

In Indian Wells he will start as number two in the world in the absence of Djokovic, but placed best. The absence of the Australian Open winner is the super-teen’s chance to reclaim the ATP throne straight away. With the tournament victory in the California desert, he would be number one in the world again.

However, the question is how the young man from Murcia will handle the pressure to succeed this spring. In Indian Wells, he initially has 360 ATP points to defend after reaching the semi-finals last year. This is followed by a whopping 2,500 points from last year’s tournament victories in Miami, Barcelona and Madrid.

Alcaraz, who is in the same half of the tableau as the Swiss Marc-Andrea Hüsler (ATP 51; against Pedro Martinez, ATP 120) and Stan Wawrinka (ATP 100, against qualifier), will have to prove himself in Indian Wells.

First he meets the American Brandon Holt (ATP 193) or a qualifier. In the final, he could only meet Russians Daniil Medvedev or Andrey Rublev, who were in form recently, as well as Aussie Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Source : Blick