Carlos Alcaraz gives immediate injury update after calling physio at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz has addressed injury fears after calling the physio during his third-round match at the US Open. The world No. 2 led Luciano Darderi by a break in the second set when he suddenly lost four games in a row and pulled up on his knee.

The trainer came to the court, and Alcaraz could be heard explaining that he felt something on his serve. The Spaniard rejected the offer of strapping but received a three-minute medical timeout, where his leg was massaged before play resumed.

"After the serve, when I'm bending my leg, my knee, it's feeling like... I can play right now but the first four, five points after that I was thinking like... I just, I mean, let's do a massage because I'm not used to..." the 2022 champion was heard telling the physio.

While Alcaraz received a rubdown, commentator Jim Courier explained: "Sounds like the way he explained it, he landed or felt something funny after a regulation serve.

"It didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary about the service motion, but it seemed, in that point, he wasn't able to move as freely. He was keeping that leg a little straighter.

"The best news that we've been able to listen to is that after the first four or five points of the problem, it seems to be improving."

The massage seemed to do the trick; Alcaraz didn't lose another game after calling the physio. He broke to take the second set immediately after receiving treatment, and then stormed through the decider to win 6-2 6-4 6-0.

Afterwards, Alcaraz told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that he wasn't worried about a potential knee injury, and just wanted to take precautions going into a third set.

"No, no, no, I'm feeling good, it's just a complication that I asked for the physio," the five-time Major winner said.

"When he just broke my serve in the last point, I just feel something that is not working good in the game. But after five, six points it was gone. I just asked for the physio just to take care of the knee because it was one set left so I had to be ready, to be feeling good physically, so I just took a precaution. I'm going to talk with my team but I think I'm not worried about it."

Alcaraz is now through to the second week of the US Open for the fourth time in his young career, where he's guaranteed to face a Frenchman, as he meets the winner of a third-round match between Arthur Rinderknech and Daniil Medvedev's conqueror, Benjamin Bonzi.

And the world No. 2 is definitely feeling good, as he's been getting on the golf course in between matches - and he celebrated his win over Darderi with a shadow swing.

"Here in New York, it's a little bit difficult to find some spots that I can feel relaxed, but the golf is one of those sports that I can feel relaxed, feel calm, thinking about my things and having fun off the court," he added.

"Then when I'm stepping on the court, I'm just playing my best tennis, playing with a smile on my face, playing with joy, which, for me, is really important."

To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or newsletter