Carlos Alcaraz's nasal strip makes a comeback as Spaniard appears sick ahead of Rotterdam debut

Carlos Alcaraz was seen wearing a nasal strip during his latest practice session at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam. The Spaniard appeared sick ahead of his debut.

Following his heartbreaking loss to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Alcaraz is gearing up to chase another unaccomplished goal—an indoor hardcourt title. Straying from his usual South American schedule, he has opted for the ATP 500 in Rotterdam (February 3-9).

The four-time Grand Slam champion landed in the Dutch city on January 30 and kicked off his practice sessions the next day, sharing the court with rival Daniil Medvedev. Carlos Alcaraz was seen coughing, sneezing, and blowing his nose during his time on the court.

Despite the illness, the Spaniard has continued his training sessions. On February 1, he showed up for his scheduled hit with Alexei Popyrin wearing a black nasal strip in hopes of some respite from the cold.

Carlos Alcaraz captured at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam - Image Source: Sportskeeda

This is not the first time that Alcaraz has resorted to a nasal strip. During his campaign at the 2024 ATP Finals, the 21-year-old wore a fuchsia-colored strip to aid his breathing struggles.

Aclaraz pictured at the 2024 ATP Finals 2024 - Image Source: Getty

Following his solitary win against Andrey Rublev at the event, he said in his press conference:

"For me, it (the nasal strip) helped a lot today. I could breathe much better. I tried to forget about I'm not feeling well, I'm sick, and deliver a really good tennis."

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Carlos Alcaraz set for a tough opening-round match at ATP 500 in Rotterdam

Alcaraz pictured with Botic van de Zandschulp at the 2024 US Open - Image Source: Getty

Following World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal, Carlos Alcaraz is set to be seeded first at the upcoming event in Rotterdam. The Spaniard, however, has been unable to escape a tough draw.

Alcaraz starts his campaign against local Botic van de Zandschulp, who's received a wildcard entry into the main draw. Despite being ranked outside the world’s top 80, the Dutchman poses a threat to the Spaniard’s chances at a maiden indoor title. Van de Zandschulp famously crushed Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the 2024 US Open.

"I don't know what to say right now," Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference at the time. "I thought he was going to give me more points – more free points. He didn’t make a lot of mistakes that I thought he was going to do. So it was confusing a bit."

Interestingly, later that season, Botic van de Zandschulp also became the last player Rafael Nadal faced in his career. The Spaniard, who bid adieu to tennis at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, was beaten by the Dutchman 6-4, 6-4 in November.