"Today I woke up with stiffness all over my body": Injury took toll on Carlos Alcaraz during Madrid Open elimination

Carlos Alcaraz has been eliminated from the Madrid Open 2024 after losing in the quarterfinals to Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 2-6. The Spaniard was aiming to become the first player in history to win the tournament three times in a row, but he came up against a Russian who has been playing his best tennis since the beginning of the season and gave him no options in the last two sets.

After the match, the world number 3 has valued this tough defeat, although perhaps to be taken with tongs as he arrived at the event, with his problems in his right forearm and his lack of competition rhythm after having to give up the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 and the Conde de Godo.

"Obviously it hurts to lose, it hurts to have options and not take advantage of them. But no, no, I'm a little cold and that's why my eyes, but no. It was a difficult day for me. It's been a difficult day for me, after yesterday's match I hadn't had a match as demanding as yesterday's for quite some time. Today I woke up with stiffness practically all over my body. The forearm, well, it was there with stiffness too, and today it has taken its toll on me", confessed the player from Murcia in the press conference after the match.

"I will not take credit for Rublev's match, the level at which I played, but you have to deal with all this but the truth is that it has been a difficult day for me." added Carlitos, in statements collected by Marca.