The absence of Carlos Alcaraz has left the ATP Tour with a void that only Alcaraz can fill. While his absence has opened the doors for others to step in, step up, and win titles, such as Alexander Zverev's French Open win, no Alcaraz feels like what it would have felt like if Rafael Nadal were sidelined in his prime.
Today, Alcaraz is still away from tennis, but closer to a return than ever, which is great news for tennis all around. The Spaniard hasn't played since April because of a wrist injury. The proof of Alcaraz's imminent return is his recent practice.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner is already out of the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada. That said, he is reportedly targeting the Cincinnati Open following the Canadian Open. However, whether a return in mid-August could be considered "rushing back" is something for Alcaraz to consider, especially when wrist injuries to past players have caused more harm than good.
Juan Martin del Potro is a cautionary tale for Carlos Alcaraz to consider amid injury recovery
Coming back from an injury too soon is usually a decision made from emotion. It happens in all sports when the desire to compete and get back in the arena overpowers everything else. Rushing back from any injury can often result in further harm being done, and Alcaraz could face that if he comes back before he's ready.
As wrist injuries in tennis go, the career of Juan Martín del Potro was cut significantly short due to a wrist injury. Potro was one of the best tennis players through the peak era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Had it not been for those three, especially Federer and Nadal earlier on before Djokovic came onto the scene, del Potro would have more than one Grand Slam.
The Argentinian giant secured major wins against the trio, including 7 career wins against Federer, 6 against Nadal, and 4 against Djokovic. His lone major came with wins against Federer and Nadal in the 2009 US Open. Unfortunately, del Potro's promising career became muddled with injuries, but it was problems with his wrists that did a lot of the damage.
Major wrist injuries required multiple surgeries on both his right and left wrists, causing del Potro to miss significant chunks of his tennis career. The cautionary tale for Alcazraz to follow is del Potro's career, because wrist injuries in tennis can be brutal.
As Alcaraz prepares for his return, former South African tennis pro Robbie Koenig advises the Spaniard not to rush back until his wrist is completely healed.
“I think he would have learned from a lot of players that have come before him, right? The likes of [Juan Martin] del Potro, [Dominic] Thiem," Koenig said on a recent episode of the Inside-In Tennis Podcast.
The worst thing that could happen to Alcaraz is rushing back, re-injuring his wrist, and having to miss time all over again. It wouldn't be good for him; it wouldn't be good for tennis. If he does indeed return in Cincinnati, let it be because he's 100%. After all, even 90% could come back to hurt him in the end.
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