Carlos Alcaraz will continue his quest for a maiden ATP Finals title next week in Turin. The 23-year-old Spaniard, who completed the Career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open earlier this season, has never won the ATP Finals. Alcaraz has made three appearances at the year-end tournament in his career and achieved his best result last year by reaching the final, where he ultimately fell to rival Jannik Sinner. Concerns were sparked on social media after Alcaraz was seen wearing tape on his knee while training in Turin ahead of the ATP Finals.
Update on Carlos Alcaraz’s knee tape issued amid concerns
According to Spanish journalist Alvaro Sanchez, the bandage is nothing to be too concerned about. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sanchez said: “Some of you are asking me about Carlos Alcaraz’s knee, which he trained with a bandage on yesterday in Turin. What I’m being told is that it’s a precautionary measure for a niggle he’s been carrying since the semifinals in Paris. As of today, there’s no real danger. That said, with injuries and niggles, you never know, and I think it’s the right call for the team to take these precautions to minimize risks in case anything happens. Stay calm.”
Recent success and tournament field
Alcaraz has enjoyed a successful but lengthy indoor hard court season thus far, which started with a triumph at the Vienna Open. Alcaraz won the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna without dropping a set, and carried that momentum into the Paris Masters. Following three consecutive years of early exits at the Paris Masters, Alcaraz won the tournament for the first time in his career and is now just the Canadian Open title and the Shanghai Masters title away from completing the Career Golden Masters, a feat only Sinner and Novak Djokovic have completed in ATP history.
Alcaraz’s nine-match winning streak has meant he enters the ATP Finals having played more tennis than any of his competitors, particularly Alexander Zverev, who crashed out in the opening round of the Paris Masters. As well as Alcaraz and Zverev, the ATP Finals lineup features Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Rafael Jodar, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. Cobolli, Fils, Tiafoe and Jodar are all making their ATP Finals debuts.
