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Carlos Alcaraz is back on tour and how! The teenage Spaniard was out of action for four months after an abrupt end to his 2022 season at the Paris Masters, where he had to retire mid-match against eventual champion Holger Rune, owing to injury.
After pulling out of the 2023 Australian Open, Alcaraz participated in his first event of the season – the Argentina Open. At the tournament, the former World No. 1 astonished tennis fans worldwide by effortlessly picking up where he left off pre-injury to claim the seventh title of his young career.
The Spaniard, who is currently defending his title at the Rio Open, has remained unbeaten thus far this season, winning seven consecutive matches.
Alcaraz’s heroics since his return from injury were noticed by tennis commentator Geoffrey Chizever, who was thrilled for the youngster's return to form.
“He’s so crazy. That’s unbelievable! You are gone for four months, and he is doing the same – the movement. It’s the same shot-making. It’s crazy!” Chizever said on the Inside-In podcast.
Chizever said that watching the 2022 US Open champion compete again made him realize how dearly his smile, athleticism and shot-making were missed on the ATP Tour.
“I forgot how much we missed Alcaraz’s smile and the athleticism and the shot-making. When we saw him in Buenos Aires against Cam Norrie,” he said.
The commentator further praised Alcaraz by saying that making a comeback after months on the sidelines is rare in tennis.
“This is one of those sports where, when you lose the rhythm and you’re off for a long time (it’s hard to make a comeback),” he said.
Chizever also compared the Spaniard's comeback to that of former World No. 2 Alexander Zverev. He, however, admitted that the German player’s injury was much different compared to that suffered by Alcaraz.
“Alexander Zverev three (wins) and five (losses) since his recovery from the ankle injury. We are talking about different injuries but (still),” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz through to the semifinals of the 2023 Rio Open
Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the semifinals of the Rio Open with a straight-sets victory over Dusan Lajovic - his seventh consecutive victory in 2023. The defending champion now awaits Chile’s Nicolas Jarry for a spot in the final.
With his title win at the Argentina Open and his ongoing run at the Rio Open, Alcaraz finds himself 590 points short of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's tally in the live ATP rankings. If he successfully defends his title in Rio, the teenager will draw level with Djokovic in terms of ranking points, although he will continue to remain World No. 2.
The duo’s run at their next tournament - ATP 500 in Dubai for Novak Djokovic and ATP 500 in Acapulco for Carlos Alcaraz - could thus hold immense significance in determining who claims the peak position.
