Injury concern? Carlos Alcaraz makes last-minute change in Wimbledon preparation after Queen’s title

Just moments after Carlos Alcaraz was announced as the top-seeded player at the 2023 Wimbledon, ahead of seven-time champion at the SW19 and 22-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, the young Spaniard made a last-minute change to his preparation for the grass court major. And while it may not have been a concern otherwise after his stupendous run at The Queen’s Club, but it has been reported that Alcaraz cited injury concern as reason behind skipping a pre-Wimbledon event.

Playing only his third grass court event of his career earlier last week and first outside the Wimbledon, Alcaraz scripted a remarkable, and rather a history-scripting, run to a title win. Although he did not face a top-10 player in his run to his first ever trophy on the surface, just days after the heartbreak at Roland Garros, Alcaraz established that he can be a threat to reckon with even on grass.

The win, that made the 20-year-old the youngest ever to have a title on all three surfaces since Lleyton Hewitt (19 years and 3 months), subsequently saw him reclaim the top spot in ATP rankings from Djokovic and also guaranteed him the top seed in Wimbledon.

Before heading to the All England Club, Alcaraz was set to play one last event, the Hurlingham Classic, an annual exhibition event for ATP players. However, in a last-minute change of plan, Alcaraz has decided to withdraw from the event where he was slated to face Dominic Thiem on July 30. He had earlier withdrawn from his first match at the event was scheduled to be against Dane Holger Rune on July 29.

What has been concerning about the development is that Alcaraz hasn’t trained since winning the title in Queen’s with reports claiming that the decision to withdraw from Hurlingham Classic was owing to a groin injury which he had incurred during the final against Australia’s Alex di Minaur in the Queen’s final.

Alcaraz has already met met with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who was not present during his run at the Queen’s last week. With still a few days left before the 2023 edition of Wimbledon kicks off, Alcaraz, arguably the only favourite to stop a rampaging Djokovic, is expected to regain fitness and come all prepared for his third appearance at the SW19.