Carlos Alcaraz will undergo a wrist scan which may well determine if the injured defending champion will be fit enough to play the French Open.

The Spaniard who withdrew after one match last week in Barcelona and is skipping the ongoing Madrid Masters has put himself in the hands of doctors as his clay season plans blow up.

And the 22-year-old dropped an ominous hint of possible bad news on Monday night as he attended the Laureus sports awards in Madrid where he picked up Sportsman of the Year.

“We will see. The next scan will be decisive, so we are doing everything possible to ensure everything goes well. I am trying to be patient.

“We will see in a few days the state of the injury and the next steps. For now, I am trying to stay positive and keep my spirits up even though the days feel long.”

The 22-year-old who won both Rome and Paris a year ago, expressed profound regret for pulling out of Madrid for a second edition in succession.

“Madrid is home, one of the most special places on my calendar, and that’s why it hurts so much not to be able to play here for the second year in a row. 

“It hurts especially not to be in front of my people, in a tournament.”

Iga Swiatek will start her bid for a second title at the Madrid Masters now fully immersed in RafaWorld after hiring a former collaborator of the King of Clay as her coach.

The one-time world No. 1 heads into battle in the capital under the tutelage of Francisco Roig, who most recently tried to guide Emma Raducanu in a short-lived collaboration.

Swiatek is fresh off a training block at the Nadal academy on the island of Mallorca and keen to test out her new coaching setup in a tournament stress test.

The 22-year-old who won the Madrid title in 2024 admitted that having Nadal around during some of her training produced some unaccustomed nerves

“First 15 minutes of practice, I was so tight,” Swiatek said on Monday prior to her start. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, how should I play? He’s watching, he’s right there, you know.

“Rafa gave Francis more space to coach me, From time to time, he was giving me tips and also telling me some stories, how he struggled with some stuff and how he managed to work on them and what were his solutions,”

The WTA elite player appreciated the fresh insight: “It was really nice to get that perspective. It was still a big challenge to have two new people on the court and start playing on clay after hard court. 

“Honestly, it was probably one of the best practice weeks I had before a clay-court season. So I’m really happy that I could experience that.” 

Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.

Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.

His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.

Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.

“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most ‌dazzling ⁠personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.

“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, ⁠spectacular winners, and great creativity.

“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”

Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.