Carlos Alcaraz reveals whether he'll keep using a nose strip at ATP Finals after "breathing better" in win over Andrey Rublev amid illness issues

Carlos Alcaraz has shed light on whether he intends to continue competing with his nose strip at the 2024 ATP Finals. The Spaniard was spotted making use of the strip during his impressive win over Andrey Rublev in Turin.

Alcaraz has been battling an illness during his campaign at the year-end championships, which was evident in his shock loss to Casper Ruud in his tournament opener. With his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero disclosing that the 21-year-old was experiencing "difficulty breathing," there were calls for the Spaniard to withdraw and prioritize his health.

Despite the concerns, Carlos Alcaraz continued training in Turin, relying on a nasal strip to combat his blocked nose. The World No. 3 delivered then a stellar performance against Andrey Rublev, beating the Russian 6-3, 7-6(8) in 96 minutes.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the 21-year-old opened up about how the nose strip helped him breathe much easier in his clash with Rublev. Alcaraz confirmed that he would continue to use it in his next match and practice session as well.

"Yeah, I know Jarry wear that thing in the nose. For me, it helped a lot today. I could breathe much better. It is something that I'm going to wear more often, I don't know (smiling)," Alcaraz said.

"Right now in the situation that I'm right now, it help a lot. I'm pretty sure that in the next match I'm going to wear it. Tomorrow's practice I'm going to wear it, for sure. I felt better. I could recover better between points," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz also clarified that the pot he was spotted "sniffing" during the changeovers contained another aid to clear his airways as he worked to recover from his illness.

"Yeah, the thing that I sniffed in the changeover, it is for that. It is just to breathe a little bit better. The things between points that I'm doing like that is because of it. It help me a lot to recover and to breathe better," he said.

Carlos Alcaraz: "I tried to forget about I'm not feeling well, I'm sick... that's what top players do"

Carlos Alcaraz at ATP Finals 2024 (Source: Getty)

During the same press conference, Carlos Alcaraz emphasized that being unwell shouldn't be an excuse, disclosing that he focused on ignoring his illness to deliver his best performance against Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals.

"As I said, it shouldn't be an excuse. You have to play your best tennis, even if you're sick. That's happen today for me," Carlos Alcaraz said. "I tried to forget about I'm not feeling well, I'm sick, and deliver a really good tennis. That's what good tennis or top players do it, even if you're not feeling good."

With a spot in the semifinals on the line, Carlos Alcaraz will square off against Alexander Zverev in a must-win encounter in his final group-stage match. The German currently leads the John Newcombe Group, having triumphed over both Casper Ruud and Rublev in straight sets.

Alcaraz and Zverev stand level at 5-5 in their head-to-head record, with the Spaniard claiming a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory in their most recent meeting in the 2024 French Open final.