Carlos Alcaraz's Injury at ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro Tournament and Its Impact on the ATP Rankings

Carlos Alcaraz's participation in the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro lasted only two games. Due to an injury to his right ankle, the world's number two tennis player was forced to withdraw in the first round of the competition, leaving the victory to Brazilian Tiago Monteiro. This incident will cost the Spanish player 300 points in the ATP ranking and will thus narrow the margin against Jannik Sinner, who is only 535 points behind. Jannik Sinner: 'I've never been to a nightclub, I avoid distractions like Sanremo. I'm 100% Italian even if I speak in German dialect.' The Injury of Alcaraz Carlos Alcaraz's participation in the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro ended after only two games. The Spanish player, world number 2 and first seed, in fact withdrew due to an injury to his right ankle, in the first round on the score of 1-1 with Brazilian Tiago Monteiro, number 117 in the ATP ranking and in the draw thanks to a wild-card. The twenty-year-old from Murcia fell after a change of direction during the second point of the match. 'I felt pain right away and thought it would be difficult to continue if things didn't improve,' Alcaraz explained. 'I played a few points and they didn't improve, I couldn't move well and I realized it would be impossible to continue. If I had continued I believe the injury would have worsened.' In a press conference the world number 2 explained that he will undergo tests but his medical staff does not seem worried about the extent of the injury. 'They believe it is not serious,' Alcaraz stressed, who before the Indian Wells Masters 1000, is expected to play an exhibition with Rafael Nadal in Las Vegas. What Changes for the Ranking If Alcaraz left the field suffering and disappointed, Jannik Sinner was smiling tonight. After the injury of his Spanish colleague, the world number three tennis player has indeed recovered some points in the ranking perspective, narrowing the margin against the number two. The withdrawal in Rio de Janeiro has indeed cost 300 points to the Iberian, who now has a lead of 535 lengths on the Italian. A lead, however, that could disappear very soon. At Indian Wells Carlos Alcaraz, reigning champion, can at most confirm the 8,805 points. In case of defeat, however, he would have at most 8,455, as the final of a Masters 1000 at 96 guarantees 650. Sinner, by winning the title, would instead reach 8,710, surpassing him and becoming the first Italian to rise to the top two in the history of men's tennis.