Carlos Alcaraz suffers ankle injury in Rio opener, retires after two games

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, retired from the Rio Open on Tuesday due to a right ankle injury sustained early in his opening match against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro.

The Spaniard required medical attention after twisting his ankle on the second point of the match. Despite briefly returning to the court and managing to break Monteiro’s serve, Alcaraz ultimately retired after being broken in the subsequent game, resulting in the match ending with the score tied at 1-1.

Alcaraz, the top seed, had previously won the Rio Open in 2022 and reached the final last year, where he was defeated by Briton Cameron Norrie. His participation in Rio followed a semifinal loss to Chilean Nicolas Jarry at the Buenos Aires Open the week prior. Additionally, Alcaraz announced earlier on Tuesday that he intends to compete in the Queen’s Club Championships before defending his Wimbledon title.

Carlos Alcaraz bravely returned to the court with his ankle securely strapped, displaying remarkable determination. Despite his injury, he showed his prowess by breaking Monteiro’s serve and momentarily taking the lead in the match. However, the strain on his movement became apparent as he surrendered his own serve in the following game. Despite his efforts to persevere, Alcaraz was ultimately compelled to retire from the match, with the scoreline deadlocked at 1-1.

In previous editions of the Rio Open, Alcaraz tasted success by capturing the title in 2022, defeating Diego Schwartzman in the final with a score of 6-4, 6-2. He also reached the final of the ATP 500 event last year, where he was edged out by Cameron Norrie in a closely contested match, ending 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in Norrie’s favor.

Alcaraz’s journey in the Argentina Open came to an unexpected halt in the semifinals, suffering a surprise defeat to Nicolas Jarry, who secured a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory. Reflecting on his loss, the Spaniard acknowledged the considerable pressure he faced and the weight of expectations he had to manage.

“It is true that expectations are generated in me in the tournaments where I go… maybe people think that I have to win every match, but Jarry has a level that can beat anyone,” Carlos Alcaraz said.