Carlos Alcaraz has been warned that “he needs to control his schedule” if he wants to have an extended tennis career with former world No 2 Alex Corretja saying it will be “key” to his longevity.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz started the 2024 French Open under an injury cloud as he missed the Italian Open due to a nagging forearm problem.
The forearm has bothered him since March as he also missed the Monte Carlo Masters and his Barcelona Open title defence, but scans have given him the all-clear to play in Paris as it showed no serious damage.
And while the forearm problem isn’t serious, Alcaraz has already had multiple injuries during his short career that have forced him to miss big events.
He was forced to withdraw from the 2022 ATP Finals due to an abdominal problem and a few months later he also skipped the 2023 Australian Open due to a hamstring injury he sustained during pre-season training.
The 21-year-old has also struggled with foot injuries and fatigue in recent months and two-time Roland Garros runner-up Corretja says he needs to be cautious with his schedule.
“He’s winning titles all the way, and became world No 1, so it’s totally different with the pressure he’s feeling and the desire to become even better,” the Spaniard told Eurosport.
“He grew up so fast and he developed his body very strong very soon.
“That’s why he got some injuries, because otherwise, maybe he wouldn’t still be No 1. If he had slowly developed, maybe he would’ve been around No 15, but as he got there so quickly, it’s normal what happened to him.
“He needs to control the schedule, which will be key in his career.”
Alcaraz, who has a 20-5 record so far in 2024 including a couple of wins at the French Open, has insisted that his forearm is 100% although he did confess after his second-round win at Roland Garros that conditions in Paris are not helpful.
“My arm is fine. The truth is that I haven’t noticed anything about my arm, but obviously these types of conditions don’t help at all,” he said.