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It was the social media video that all Alcaraz fans had been waiting for, and millions of views told its own story. On Sunday, the Spanish star posted a video of himself hitting tennis balls with his right hand again for the first time since April 13, his last appearance at the Barcelona Open.
The 23-year-old beat Finland’s Otto Virtanen in the round of 16 in Catalonia but was unable to play his next match at that spring tournament.
“I felt my wrist break on a return kick during the match,” Alcaraz said.
“After testing we saw that this is a more serious injury than any of us expected and I need to listen to my body to ensure it doesn’t affect me in the future.
“I need to go home to start recovering as soon as possible with my team – doctors and physiotherapist – and get well or try to get well as quickly as possible before the upcoming tournaments.”
It was an ominous announcement, raising immediate concerns about the nature of the injury as tennis fans had already seen wrist injuries cause the deaths of Grand Slam champions Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem.
Any hopes that it might be a short-term layoff were extinguished when Alcaraz announced he would not play at Roland Garros and then said he would not be able to play at Wimbledon either.
There’s been little news on his wrist since then, but these latest shots of his famous right hand in action are fueling the desire to return.
With decisions on wrist injuries being made with great caution, when that might be is still up in the air with the US Open looking too close, but Alcaraz has nominally signed up for September’s Laver Cup in London.
Injury aside, it remains to be seen whether he can return to his top level of tennis and he still has a lot of catching up to do with Jannik Sinner as fans await the next chapter of their exciting duopoly.
How did Alcaraz spend his summer?
For almost three months, not counting tennis, Alcaraz was very busy.
While he may not have competed at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz – in a prominent line-up – was nonetheless able to watch his younger brother Jaime play at the under-16 tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz watches brother Jaime at the Madrid Open.
Image credit: Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz watches brother Jaime at the Madrid Open.
Image credit: Getty Images
He also attended a Bad Bunny concert, celebrated his 23rd birthday and saw Paris Hilton knocked up in his social media comments about a yacht.
However, he also worked hard to maintain his fitness and was often seen running on the road or on the treadmill.
And on the court, Alcaraz developed a remarkable ability to play backhand without using his right hand.
Alcaraz’s penchant for American sports is also evident, as he can be seen wearing vests at Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors games.
He reportedly just recently spent a few days on vacation in Ischia, Italy.
Come the fall, his fans will be hoping that he will have less time on his hands and that he will return to enjoy the sport in which he has already made such a lasting impression.
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