Tennis: Alcaraz ensures, reassures and surprises himself in Madrid for his return, mixed fortunes for the Blues

Forced to stop by his injured right forearm, Carlos Alcaraz, world No.3 and double title holder, was reassured and even surprised for his return to the game during the Masters 1000 in Madrid, this Friday, one month before Roland-Garros (May 26-June 9).

Before Madrid, Alcaraz was forced to give up Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, ​​his first two meetings of the season on ocher. So much so that the young Spaniard had not played for a month (loss in the quarter-finals in Miami, against Dimitrov). In the Madrid Caja Magica which was successful for him so well, “Carlitos”, even with a protective sleeve on his right arm, immediately regained his bearings and appeared particularly lively and inspired for a recovery. In 68 minutes, the game was over, quickly, well done, 6-1, 6-2 at the expense of the Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko (59th).

“We're back, Madrid,” he rejoiced on the camera held out to the players at the end of the match. He continued: “I felt very good on the court, I didn’t feel anything in my forearm. It's something that, even if we want to avoid, kept running through my head, on every forehand, on every hard ball. I played a very complete match, I surprised myself with the level at which I played. But the main thing was (to know) how I was going to feel and if I was going to feel anything, that wasn't the case and I'm very happy with that."

However, Juan Carlos Ferrero's protégé only made the decision to defend his title in the Spanish capital the day before. “Training before Barcelona, ​​I took three steps back. Afterwards, I spent a week without touching the racket, until Monday in Madrid. I came here not knowing what was going to happen. As I didn't feel anything, I gradually increased the training intensity, day after day. And yesterday (Thursday) I played a set against Medvedev and since I didn't feel anything during the whole hour and a half of training, I told myself that I was ready to play,” he said. -he recounted after this successful return.

His forehand, the No. 1 weapon of his game and precisely the shot he was unable to hit for good in training in Monte-Carlo earlier this month, has regained its bite, even if Alcaraz takes be careful not to send it yet at full power. “I hit less hard than usual. It's unnatural for me, he agreed. But playing with more relaxation also helps me a lot, to play more with sensations and forwards.

In the third round, the double Grand Slam winner (US Open 2022 and Wimbledon 2023) and former world No.1 will face the Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild (63rd). If he were to triumph on Spanish clay on May 5 - the day he turns 21 - Alcaraz would become the first player to win the Masters 1000 in Madrid three times in a row.

It's the turn of Jannik Sinner, the man in good form from the first part of the season, to enter the fray on Saturday, against his compatriot Lorenzo Sonego (52nd).

Ugo Humbert, the French No.1 no longer so far from the top 10, achieved his success in the unusual coolness of Madrid, 6-3, 6-3 in 79 minutes against the Dutchman Botic de Zandschulp, just ejected from the top 100. End of course on the other hand for the two hopes of French tennis, Arthur Fils (32nd) and Luca Van Assche (99th). Sick, the first was extinguished by the German Daniel Altmaier (61st) 6-2, 6-3. The second gave the Argentinian Sebastien Baez (19th) a hard time for almost three hours but ended up losing 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3.

In a tournament that she has won twice, Aryna Sabalenka had a difficult first step: the world No.2 and defending champion needed more than two hours and three sets to dismiss the Polish Magda Linette (48th) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Titled in Stuttgart on Sunday by defeating world No.1 Iga Swiatek, world No.4 Elena Rybakina continued with mastery, victorious over Italian Lucia Bronzetti (46th) 6-4, 6-3.