Carlos Alcaraz practices in Cincinnati with bandages on his thighs

Carlos Alcaraz skipped the Montreal Masters 1000 last week to rest after reaching the final at the Paris Olympics, lost to a great Novak Djokovic. The young Spaniard – a great favourite for the gold medal in Paris – took a few days to get over his disappointment and see the positive side.

The former world number 1 has been the strongest in the world for the past two months, having won the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. The 21-year-old from Murcia will need great continuity in the coming months if he wants to finish the year at the top of the ATP ranking by overtaking his big rival Jannik Sinner (who has had several physical problems in the last two months).

Carlitos will play in Cincinnati this week, a great test before the US Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion reached the final in Ohio last year, losing to Djokovic at the photo finish in one of the most spectacular matches of 2023.

Alcaraz has no easy path in Cincinnati and will debut against the winner of the match between Monfils and Popyrin (who just won the Montreal Masters 1000). In case of victory, the Spaniard would probably face Holger Rune or Matteo Berrettini in the third round. The former world number 1 will hardly be at the top of his form because his main goal is the US Open.

Alcaraz is practicing intensively

After taking a few days off, Carlos Alcaraz arrived in Cincinnati on Sunday and has already started to train intensively. To avoid overloading his joints, Carlitos had bandages on both thighs during his last practice in Ohio. The former world number one will debut on Thursday.

Back at @CincyTennis 🤩@carlosalcaraz getting warmed up ahead of the 2024 Cincinnati Open 💪#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/BreNi2HATk

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 12, 2024

Despite not winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, it was a great experience for the young Spaniard. Alcaraz had the chance to team up…