Jannik Sinner says Alcaraz’s absence from Madrid Open ‘tough to swallow’

Jannik Sinner described Carlos Alcaraz’s injury withdrawal from the Madrid Open as “tough to swallow” for the tournament and believes the absence of his greatest rival will make a big difference as he tries to win a record fifth straight Masters title.

“It’s a very tough thing for the tournament,” said Sinner. “Last year he didn’t play, so twice in a row is tough. And also Novak [Djokovic] is not here, it’s tough to swallow for the tournament. It is always different when Carlos and Novak are not in the draw. I would say [this situation is] unique because we have shared since last year a lot of tournaments.”

Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from this week’s Madrid Open, the biggest tournament in his home country, for the second year in a row after sustaining a right wrist injury in his opening round match at the Barcelona Open last week. On Monday, Alcaraz wore a cast on his wrist as he attended the Laureus Sports Awards in Madrid and won the World Sportsman of the Year award.

In numerous interviews during the event, Alcaraz was non-committal on the subject of competing at Roland Garros. The 22-year-old has won the French Open on the past two occasions despite two injury-ravaged clay-court seasons in the buildup to his victories. However, he said that he would prioritise preserving his health in the future rather than taking a big risk by competing at Roland Garros this year.

“We have a very long road ahead, many years in front,” said Alcaraz in his post-event press conference. “Forcing myself in this Roland Garros could hurt me a lot for the future. We’ll see what happens with the tests. I would prefer to return a bit later but very well, rather than rushing to return early and badly.”

Sinner also attended the Laureus Awards, where he was nominated in Alcaraz’s category. He said he opted not to ask Alcaraz about his injury when the pair spoke during the event: “I talked with him,” said Sinner. “We didn’t talk a lot about this topic. I think it’s also very, very private, so … But yeah, I think we all saw that he had a [cast] on. Hopefully it can help him to get back as soon as possible. It’s a very big pity to not have him here and also Novak, the two biggest stars in tennis. We still hope it’s going to be a good tournament, but of course not seeing them it makes a big difference.”