Carlos Alcaraz made it through his first round at the 2025 US Open, but there’s something troubling about what happened next.
The 22-year-old Spaniard beat Reilly Opelka pretty comfortably, winning 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. That should’ve been great news for the five-time Grand Slam champion.
But it’s what people saw at his practice session the next day that’s got everyone talking.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Taped wrist raises questions
Alcaraz showed up to practice with his right wrist completely taped up. That’s never a good sign, especially at a Grand Slam.
During the session, he was heard complaining about the tape. He seemed to be asking his team to adjust it because it felt too tight.
Now, this isn’t the first time Alcaraz has practiced with wrist taping. But the timing couldn’t be worse. He just spent a match dealing with Opelka’s massive serves – the kind that can really jar your wrist when you’re trying to return them.
And his next opponent? Mattia Bellucci, a talented left-hander who’s going to present his own set of challenges.
Alcaraz keeps quiet about any problems
Here’s the thing though – when reporters asked Alcaraz about how he’s feeling, he didn’t mention any physical issues at all.
In fact, he said the complete opposite.
"Right now, I’m really happy with the way I’m feeling."
He talked about how tough it was to play someone like Opelka, but focused on the tennis side of things:
"Well, it was really difficult to get a good rhythm. Such a tough opponent, big serve, he doesn’t let you go into rallies. It was difficult for me to get a good rhythm and a good feeling from the baseline."
That’s pretty typical for Alcaraz. He managed the match well despite the challenges.
"I just tried to return well, play as long points as I could, and try to get the good rhythm and feeling. It was a difficult first round, but overall I’m really happy with the way I managed everything."
The bigger picture at this US Open
There’s actually a lot more at stake for Alcaraz at this tournament than just advancing through the rounds.
He’s got a real shot at becoming World No. 1 again. In the live rankings right now, he’s already 60 points ahead of Jannik Sinner. If he can match or beat whatever Sinner does at this tournament, the top spot is his.
That would be pretty amazing, especially considering Sinner just retired from their Cincinnati final after only 20 minutes because of his own injury issues.
But Alcaraz doesn’t want to think about any of that ranking stuff.
"I’m trying not to think about the run of the number one spot. I just try to go as far as I can in this tournament, play my best tennis and let’s see how it’s going to be at the end of the tournament."
He’s keeping it simple: whoever plays better tennis deserves to be No. 1.
"Whoever plays better in this tournament will deserve the number one spot. So, I don’t think I’m putting pressure on him."
The question is whether that taped wrist is going to let him play his best tennis. We’ll find out soon enough when he faces Bellucci in the second round.
