Carlos Alcaraz Cancels ATP Finals Practice After 5 Minutes

Carlos Alcaraz canceled his practice short on Tuesday due to ongoing illness.

Carlos Alcaraz stopped practicing after a few minutes on Tuesday due to an ongoing illness. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

On Monday, Casper Ruud rolled over Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of the ATP Finals. After losing in straight sets to Ruud, Alcaraz gave three excuses for his poor play. One of the most important reasons was his health.

Alcaraz had battled a virus well before he arrived in Turin, Italy. The World No. 3 has noticeably coughed a lot on and off the court. Adding to the concern, Alcaraz cut his practice short on Tuesday after after minutes.

Fans and media saw Alcaraz briefly. He walked onto the practice court, hit some balls, had a brief conversation with his coach, and then walked off of the court. Most of it happened before spectators could even figure out what was going on.

Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, spoke with the media about how his player is feeling and if he will be available to play Andrey Rublev in their Group Stage match on Wednesday.

❌🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz just ended his training session early, after just 5-10 minutes.

Didn’t look great, severely under the weather… pic.twitter.com/WNAURX2fP7

— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) November 12, 2024

"As soon as he moves a little, he has trouble breathing. His chest is a little tight. A bad time to get sick. We must not anticipate whether he will play or not tomorrow. We have all played in these circumstances," said Ferrero.

The coach continued, "I think he will not get to the point where he will not go on court. It will be difficult for him to be 100% tomorrow."

According to reporting from Punto de Break, Alcaraz has taken antibiotics for four days. He is experiencing tightness in his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe properly.

Additionally, the medication and illness are leaving him "without energy," and he struggles to catch his breath during exchanges. Due to his current physical condition, Alcaraz decided to cut practice short and return to his hotel to rest and preserve energy for tomorrow's match.

Alcaraz is scheduled to play Rublev at 8:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, November 13. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

• Frances Tiafoe partied with Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs.

• Jannik Sinner's signature Nike apparel hit shelves in Italy for the ATP Finals.

• Carlos Alcaraz explains the next tattoo he wants to get.