Somewhere in Spain, Carlos Alcaraz can put his feet up and reflect on what appears to be a rather wise decision. While the World No 1 rests after winning the Japan Open title, he can do so safely away from the “brutal” conditions at the Shanghai Masters, where extreme heat and humidity has blown the draw wide open. Jannik Sinner is out after retiring from his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor due to painful cramp. Novak Djokovic battled through, but only after throwing up on court during his gruelling win over Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday.
Alcaraz pulled out of Shanghai, one of the ATP’s premier 1000 events, in order to protect the left ankle injury he sustained during his run to the Tokyo title. But even with a fully fit ankle, and without the extreme weather, Alcaraz could have foreseen such a situation unfolding as we enter perhaps the most demanding stretch of the tennis season and many players realise their tanks are close to empty. The nature of the new 12-day Masters events, of which Shanghai is one of the seven expanded tournaments played across the ATP season, asks even more of the players who go on a deep run the previous week.
