Exclusive: Alcaraz says he must 'trust' his ankle as he prepares for Monte Carlo

Carlos Alcaraz has stressed that he must “trust” his ankle as he prepares for a return to clay at the Monte Carlo Masters.

The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the Rio Open in his first game at the tournament, handing home favourite Thiago Monterio a walkover with the score at 1-1 in the first set.

Alcaraz had returned to Brazil looking to avenge his .

The 20-year-old, now world No. 3 after Jannik Sinner’s win in Miami saw the Italian leapfrog him, is seeded third in Monaco and received a bye in his first-round match as the third seed.

Speaking exclusively to Eurosport ahead of the tournament, the reigning Wimbledon champion has said that the ankle injury is – for the moment – at the back of his mind.

“I thought [about my clay return after the Rio injury], with all the slices and being careful on it,” Alcaraz said.

“But after the first hour [of training back on clay], I try not to think about it and played normally.

“I don’t feel pain in my ankle, and am moving normally. It’s something I have to trust, and let’s see. The first matches will be difficult, and there might be some thoughts in my mind about it.”

At just 20 years of age, Alcaraz’s mentality has been tested after some surprise defeats this season, including a premature exit at the Australian Open to Alexander Zverev in the last eight, a semi-final loss to Nicolas Jarry in Argentina, and the most recent defeat to Dimitrov in Miami.

“I learned a lot from the tournaments that I have played since the season began,” Alcaraz explained.

“I’m glad to find my tennis again in the last two tournaments. All my life, I’ve played on clay courts so I know better how to play on the surface. [In] the last two tournaments, I recovered my joy and my game and I’m glad to be able to show that level on clay again.”

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The Spaniard also said that he could well lock horns with his compatriot Rafael Nadal – who himself withdrew from the Monte Carlo event recently – but on the golf course, not the tennis court.

“[Rafa and I] spoke about playing golf [together] one day,” he said.

“I can’t compete against him in golf; I’d have to practise for years. It’s something that has helped me a lot to turn my mind off, and thanks to that, I can play better on the tennis court. I try to play golf as much as I can to disconnect and it’s really helpful when I’m not training or in competition.”

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