No man has successfully defended the US Open crown in the last 14 years. The last player to achieve the feat was Roger Federer in 2008, when he completed an array of five Grand Slam wins in New York. Carlos Alcaraz, who reiterated his desire to join Federer in the elite list at Flushing Meadows, stands three wins away from completing a rare feat is US Open. And first up stands former finalist on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alexander Zverev, who beat the Spaniard in their only ever Grand Slam meeting last year at Roland Garros. While Alcaraz will be eyeing a revenge, there have been talks about a major injury concern for the defending champion ahead of the match.
In his round of 16 clash against unseeded Italian Matteo, which he won 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets, Alcaraz was spotted with his left leg tapped. which sparked talk on air and on social media on a possible injury scare. While Alcaraz looked in no discomfort throughout the match as he completed a comfortable win to make the quarters for the second successive time in New York, experts were left concerned.
A possible injury scare ahead of US Open clash vs Zverev?
Among the first questions that the 20-year-old was asked in the post-match conference was about the injury concern in his leg and the Spaniard but speculations to rest immediately as he explained saying that it was only a precautionary step to lessen the pain in the body.
“It’s really tough playing in a Grand Slam. You play tough matches during two weeks. For me it’s normal that some pains came to your body, and you have to take care about it. It’s nothing serious, it’s just for prevention. I mean, I felt a little bit that pain on the left leg, but as I said nothing serious. Just taking care about it,” he said.
Alcaraz will have a task cut out when he takes on Zverev in the quarterfinal on late Wednesday night on Arthur Ashe. The German leads 3-2 against Spaniard with two wins on hard courts and the other at a Grand Slam meeting in 2022 French Open which he had won in four sets. Alcaraz’s only two wins came on clay, both at Madrid Open.
