Efe Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Updated Wednesday, February 21, 2024-03:39

The Spanish

Carlos Alcaraz,

number two in the world and first seed, left the Rio de Janeiro Open this Tuesday when he was playing his first match in the only ATP 500 tournament in South America after twisting an ankle in the second point of the duel with the Brazilian

Thiago Monteiro .

The Valencian suffered a visible twist in his right ankle when he performed a lateral movement, fell to the ground on the clay court and took a while to get up.

With clear expressions of concern, the current Wimbledon champion walked to the bench, asked for medical attention and

tried to continue the match

after being bandaged, but, with clear signs of pain and visible swelling, he ended up leaving the match when the first set was tied in 1-1.

His farewell came after his match was postponed for more than two hours due to the drizzle that fell on the Brazilian Jockey Club and delayed the entire second day of the tournament.

Alcaraz was

the biggest attraction in Rio de Janeiro

after having been the tournament champion in 2022 and a finalist in 2023, when he fell in the final with the British Cameron Norrie after also complaining about an injury.

The 20-year-old Valencian hoped to begin his return to first place in the world rankings in Rio, as he is hot on the heels of

Novak Djokovic,

after having reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open this year and the semi-finals at the Australian Open. Buenos Aires.

After the abandonment of Alcaraz, Monteiro, 117th in the world and who had to play the qualifying phase to reach the main bracket, will face fellow Brazilian Felipe Meligeni (153 ATP) in the round of 16, who this Tuesday eliminated the Argentine Pedro Cachín .

The injury doesn't seem that serious.

Later, the Spaniard stated that his doctors told him that the torsion he suffered in his right ankle does not initially seem as serious as it first appeared.

"Tomorrow I will undergo imaging tests to see what comes out, but

both my physio and the ATP believe it is not something serious,"

said the 20-year-old from Murcia in a press conference he offered after his withdrawal from the Brazilian tournament. .

The tennis player added that, depending on the results of the tests he will undergo on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, he will decide his steps in the current season, but that for now he cannot rule out any tournament.

"In the end the ankle is still hot. It has to cool down and I have to see the sensations to define my next movements. I have to wait for what appears in the images and, from there, take one direction or another," said the former number one of the world by discarding any hasty decision.