Carlos Alcaraz is entering the French Open without pain, but he holds some concerns…

Carlos Alcaraz, who experienced a forearm injury that shortened his clay-court season, now reports being free from pain. However, the two-time Grand Slam champion remains cautious about exerting full force during the French Open. Alcaraz, 21, had to withdraw from both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open due to the injury. Though he made an attempt to defend his title in Madrid, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals, leading him to opt out of the Italian Open.

“I’m feeling better. Every practice I’ve had here, at home, has been pretty good. I’m feeling better and better,” Alcaraz shared with reporters on Friday. “At least I can practice, hit balls without pain. That’s a really good point for me. I’m excited to play my first match here in Roland Garros.

“I’m still thinking about it when I’m hitting forehands. Probably I’m going to say I’m a little bit scared about hitting every forehand at 100% intensity.”

The world No. 4 has only played four matches on clay this season.

“Honestly, I come to this tournament with not too many matches, not as many matches as I wanted, but I’m focusing on practice,” he said. “I’m practicing well. I’m getting rhythm. I’m gaining confidence in practice, which I think is really important, and I think I don’t need too many matches to get to my 100%.”

When asked about his injury, the Spaniard smiled and said he did not know exactly what went wrong with his arm.

“I just focus on doing the things that the doctors and my team told me I have to do. That’s it,” he said. “What I remember is they told me that this is not going to be serious, it’s not going to take too much time. I’m not feeling any pain in the practices when I step on the court.”

In addition, Jannik Sinner, who could potentially become the new world No. 1 over the next fortnight, mentioned that his hip injury has recovered in time for the French Open, but he admitted that his preparation has not been ideal.

The Australian Open champion had previously stated that he would not risk his long-term fitness by competing at Roland Garros unless he was fully recovered, but he will participate in the draw.

“I’m not concerned anymore about my hip. The last tests we made were very positive. That’s why I’m here,” Sinner said on Friday. “I said I would only come here if my hip was in good shape. The overall physical shape is not perfect. I haven’t played tennis for nearly three weeks, which is quite a lot before a Grand Slam. But look, I’ll try to take it day by day.

“This is a slightly different approach to a tournament than I’m used to. But hopefully, getting through the first round can help me find my rhythm a little bit.”