Carlos Alcaraz expects to be fit for Indian Wells after Rio Open withdrawal
Carlos Alcaraz confident he will be fit for Indian Wells title defence in March despite spraining ankle at Rio Open on Tuesday; world No 2 set to play Rafael Nadal in Las Vegas exhibition before heading to California - watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 21 February 2024 23:22, UK
World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz expects to be fit to defend his Indian Wells title in March despite injuring his ankle at the Rio Open.
Alcaraz withdrew from his match against Thiago Monteiro on Tuesday after just two games and subsequent scans showed a sprained ankle but the 20-year-old is confident of a quick return.
The two-time Grand Slam champion is set to play fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in an exhibition in Las Vegas on March 3 before he heads to Indian Wells later in the month.
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Alcaraz wrote on Instagram: "I just had an MRI on my ankle after yesterday's injury.
"After the meeting with my doctor and my physiotherapists, the diagnosis is a grade II lateral sprain. I have a sprain that will keep me out for a few days! See you in Las Vegas and Indian Wells!"
Speaking immediately after the match, Alcaraz said: "These things happen, even more so on clay, it was not a problem of the court, I got injured as I switched direction. That happens in this kind of surface.
"I came back to the game to see whether I could carry on or not. I spoke to the physio on the court and we decided together I should continue to see if this would get better.
"It didn't happen, so we chose to be careful and abandon due to precaution."
Alcaraz won the Rio Open in 2022 and finished runner-up last year when he lost to Great Britain's Cameron Norrie in the final.
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