Carlos Alcaraz was ‘a different person’ during Andrey Rublev match as he credits pink nasal strip
Tennis fans should get used to Carlos Alcaraz wearing a pink nasal strip as the Spaniard admits it is “something I’m going to wear more often” as he believes it was key to “helping him breathe better” during his ATP Finals match against Andrey Rublev.
Alcaraz was first spotted wearing the band-aid during training in the build-up to the tournament in Turin as he struggled with a cold, but he didn’t use it for his opening clash against Casper Ruud.
That match turned into a nightmare as he produced an erratic display as he lost in straight sets with his team admitting after the match that he struggled with a stomach problem and had trouble breathing.
There were doubts about his participation in the remainder of the tournament, but Alcaraz took the court for his second group match against Rublev and produced a clinical display as he won 6-3, 7-6 (10-8).
“Today I was a different person,” he said. “The band-aid helped me to open up and breathe a little better. And above all, I was clear about what I had to play, and that if I lost, nothing would happen.
“I tried to go out and forget that I was sick, accept the situation and find solutions. I had several options to play, the first one was to see how I felt, if I could play long rallies and run normally, and if not I would have changed. But I’m glad I was able to feel great.”
Current ATP player Nicolas Jarry is famous for wearing a nasal strip while tennis great Maria Sharapova and footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Robbie Fowler also used it in the past.
“I know Nico wears that thing on his nose. It helped me a lot. I could breathe much better,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s something I’m going to wear more often. I’m sure in the next match I’m going to wear it, and in training. I was able to recover better between rallies.”
Carlos Alcaraz News
Carlos Alcaraz facing daunting task to stay alive in ATP Finals – full scenarios
Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz reveal which shots they would – and wouldn’t – take from each other
As for his health, while his stomach is better, Alcaraz is still not 100% and he has a day to recover as his next match is on Friday against Alexander Zverev.
“What has been improving these days is my stomach, but as for the cold, my chest, I don’t see much improvement,” he said.
“I continue to hope that, as the days go by, it will improve. If I feel better, great, and if not, I will try to show my best level as I am.”
