Tennis journalist expresses concern over Carlos Alcaraz's crowded schedule after injury recurrence at Rio Open 2023

Carlos Alcaraz fell short in his title defense at the 2023 Rio Open, where he was looking to equal World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's ranking points.

Alcaraz took on Cameron Norrie on Sunday in their second final in as many weeks; the duo had also faced off at the Argentina Open last week. Having won on the first occasion, Alcaraz ended up on the losing side this time around as Norrie pulled off a comeback 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

An aspect that stood out in their marathon clash was the leg discomfort that Carlos Alcaraz seemed to feel midway through. That was an issue he struggled with throughout the tournament.

In that context, renowned sports journalist Steve Flink touched upon the incident and voiced his concern over Alcaraz’s jam-packed schedule. The World No. 2 contested back-to-back finals in the first two weeks after returning from injury.

“We could tell (he) has got an issue there, a serious issue – trying to play through it,” Flink said on the 'Court-Side with Beilinson Tennis' podcast. “Let’s just hope that Carlos is wise about his schedule for the next month.”

Carlos Alcaraz and his team were previously called out for his over-crowded commitments in 2022. The Spaniard struggled physically after the US Open, and eventually pulled out of various events due to injury.

Alcaraz missed the Davis Cup finals, the Paris Masters, the ATP Finals and, most recently, the 2023 Australian Open.

Flink is of the opinion that, this time around, the World No. 2 should avoid making the “dangerous move” of competing in yet another ATP 500 in Acapulco. The tournament is scheduled for this week (February 27 to March 4).

“I certainly hope he wouldn’t try to make this - three straight weeks and go on to Acapulco. That could be a dangerous move. I strongly suspect he will not make that mistake,” Flink remarked.

The journalist also put forward the potential long-term dangers if the 19-year-old, who has a physical style of play, were to overwork his body.

“It isn’t even just a matter of Carlos thinking about this near-term, he has got to really pace himself through the years,” Flink said. “He’s had a lot of woes, you might say; A lot of issues with his body and he’s clearly a very fit, young man, but he’s gotta pace himself. And we want to see him around this game into his 30s like the three icons of this generation."

“That will only happen if he gets wise counsel and if he’s willing at certain times to say ‘No. I am putting my racquet down for a few weeks, I’m going to save myself,’” he added.

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"I really like Acapulco; I really want to go there" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie at 2023 Rio Open Final

Carlos Alcaraz struggled to keep up with Cameron Norrie in the Rio Open final due to a recurrence of his thigh injury. However, he has stated that he hopes to play the ATP 500 in Acapulco, despite a competitive month in March that includes the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open.

Alcaraz is the defending champion at the latter tournament.

“I really like Acapulco. I really want to go there and play in front of Mexican fans,” Carlos Alcaraz said after his Rio Open final defeat to Cameron Norrie. “I’ll try all my best play there.”

The Spaniard, however, recognized the fitness hazard of playing through an injury. He suggested that he would be making the appropriate decision after discussing it with his doctor and physio.

“But health comes first, you know,” the former World No. 1 said. “It’s really tough to know right now. It’s tough to feel some pain in the same muscle that you had an injury couple months ago. I’m gonna take care about it. Let’s see with my doctor, with my physio, I will evaluate it.”