Carlos Alcaraz injury update: Spaniard admits to being "afraid" about his movement after French Open 1R win, but hints at "full recovery" of arm

Carlos Alcaraz delivered a positive update on the condition of his right forearm after his dominant 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 win over J.J. Wolf in the first round of the 2024 French Open. The Spaniard missed two prestigious ATP Masters 1000 tournaments- the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Italian Open- in the buildup to the French Open due to a right arm injury.

The injury mainly affected Alcaraz's ability to hit his potent forehands. However, against Wolf, there was no sign of any particular problem as the Spaniard served up his signature, eclectic variety of shots to leave the American stunned.

After the match, Alcaraz said during a press conference that even though it feels "weird" for him to hit forehands at the moment, he believes that he has made a full recovery.

"I think the arm is 100%. Obviously I’m still feeling weird, let's say, or afraid to hit every forehand 100%. It's still in my mind, but I didn't feel anything after the match, I didn't feel anything, which is really, really good for me. So I can say it's full recovered," Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz was also asked if he still has plans to partner Rafael Nadal in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The World No. 3 said that the plans are likely to be realized provided "everything goes well" for himself and Nadal going forward.

"If everything goes well, we are going to play doubles together here," Alcaraz added.

The two-time Grand Slam winner is set to face qualifier Jesper De Jong in the second round. De Jong reached the second round after clinching a five-set thriller against Jack Draper in the first round.

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim has backed Carlos Alcaraz to win the 2024 French Open

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his first-round match at the 2024 French Open against J.J. Wolf

Jon Wertheim, a prominent tennis journalist, picked Alcaraz as his favorite to win the 2024 French Open men's singles title.

Alcaraz came close to reaching the final last year, but persistent cramping during his semifinal against eventual winner Novak Djokovic saw his hopes crumble. According to Wertheim, Alcaraz will square off against Djokovic deep into the tournament and defeat the Serb before going on to lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires for the first time.

"I think Novak makes a deep run but I think we'll get a repeat of that great match last year, but this time I feel Alcaraz wins his first title at Roland Garros," Wertheim told Tennis Channel.

Djokovic, the defending French Open champion, is slated to get his 2024 Roland Garros campaign started against wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Tuesday, May 28.