Carlos Alcaraz Retires After Ankle Injury in Rio Opener
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz suffered an ankle injury just two points into his Rio Open presented by Claro opening-round match against Thiago Monteiro and retired shortly after despite a valiant attempt to continue the match.
Ankle Injury Halts Alcaraz's Match
Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed in the Rio Open, sustained an ankle injury just moments into his opening-round match against Thiago Monteiro. Alcaraz was moving laterally back towards the center of the court when Monteiro hit a shot behind him. Alcaraz planted his right foot to stop his momentum, but his right ankle rolled badly, causing him to fall to the ground.
Following the injury, Alcaraz received treatment from an ATP physiotherapist and had his ankle heavily strapped. Despite returning to the court and breaking Monteiro's serve, Alcaraz retired from the match after losing the next game. He cited his compromised movement and ongoing pain as the reasons for his decision to retire.
Alcaraz expressed concern about the severity of his ankle injury and mentioned that he would undergo further testing to determine its seriousness. He admitted that he felt immediate pain after the fall and knew it would be difficult to continue playing in that condition.
Impact on Alcaraz's Ranking
The ankle injury setback comes at a crucial time for Carlos Alcaraz, who is currently battling to defend his No. 2 Pepperstone ATP Ranking against Italian player Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz has a narrow lead of just 535 points over Sinner, and he has 1000 points to defend next month as the defending champion at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Alcaraz's retirement from the Rio Open will likely impact his ranking, as he will be unable to earn points in the tournament. It remains to be seen how the injury will affect his standing in the rankings and his ability to maintain his position as the World No. 2.
Monteiro's Perspective and H2H Record
Thiago Monteiro, who faced Alcaraz in the Rio Open, expressed his surprise at the early injury. He mentioned that although it didn't appear serious at first, seeing the replay on the big screen revealed the severity of Alcaraz's ankle twist. Monteiro wished Alcaraz a speedy recovery and commended him as a rising star in the new generation of tennis players.
With his victory over Alcaraz in the Rio Open, Thiago Monteiro now holds a 2-0 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head record. Their previous meeting took place at the Melbourne-1 ATP 250 in 2021, where Monteiro also emerged as the winner.
