As the French Open approaches, Alcaraz confides: "I don't feel liberated".

For most bookmakers, Carlos Alcaraz is the great favorite for this Roland-Garros 2024. Yet the Spaniard arrives at Porte d'Auteuil with measured confidence.

A magnificent winner at Indian Wells, he has since lost some of his superb form. Outclassed by a prodigious Dimitrov in Miami (6-2, 6-4), he spent the season on clay struggling with his physique. With a sore right arm, he played just one tournament on clay, in Madrid (beaten in the quarter-finals by Andrey Rublev, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2).

Alcaraz has therefore only played 4 matches on crushed bricks (3 wins, 1 loss), and will need to sort himself out quickly. In comments relayed by Marca, the world number 3 confesses to being worried. Although he seems to have been able to train normally since arriving in France, the fear has not gone away. He explains: "I'm feeling better. Training is going well, without any discomfort. Do I feel liberated? No, I'm still a bit scared. It's going to take a while for that fear to go away. I'm still thinking about it.

Every time I hit my forehand one hundred percent, whether in training or in a match, I have this thought in my head. I still wear the muff, I train with it and I'm going to play with it, that's for sure."