Tennis, something like a constant part of war, now offers the return of Pablo Carreño, who eight months after playing his last match and after undergoing surgery to resolve a delicate problem in his right elbow, tastes defeat. Yes, the defeat. “The feeling of being happy is a bit strange, because I lost, but the main thing was to finish without pain. “We knew what we were coming to and how we were, and this is the way to go: play matches, get on with it, feel like a tennis player again and accept the circumstances,” he says in front of journalists, after having fallen in the Roland Garros premiere against the Argentine Mariano Navone (5-7, 6-1, 6-3 and 6-0, in 2h 52m) and taking the first step towards normality. Go back, that difficult path.
Carreño says that the rain, humidity and the weight of the ball have not contributed, but he analyzes it coldly and disappears from the individual box with happiness. He has a smile on his face, he can’t help it. The process, he highlights during the conversation and the previous meeting that took place two days ago, demands a progressive readjustment, step by step, which should culminate if nothing goes wrong with the arrival at the Paris Olympic Games, in two months. “I will play the singles (it has a protected ranking, despite the current position being ) and I am also excited to play the doubles, but everything depends on David (Ferrer), the captain. I suppose he will want to see how I am and will decide,” continues the 32-year-old Asturian.
Three years ago, Carreño starred in the big bell in Tokyo, where he snatched the Olympic bronze from Novak Djokovic. Then, in 2022, he won his first Masters 1000 (Montreal). But from then on, he resented the use of the pronator teres, the same muscle (forearm) that has plagued his friend Carlitos for a couple of months. “I have talked to him about it, but I don’t know exactly what he has. “It must be similar, but mine is next to an elbow operation and yours is not. The doctor told me to be calm, that it is a centimeter and a half apart, as if he were very far away… (laughs). A centimeter and a half. It seemed very close to me, but well…” he details when asked by this newspaper.
In his day, the man from Gijón—now in the catacombs of the list, 1,049th, without playing since October (challenger) and on the ATP circuit since February 2023—he already managed to get out of a more than considerable tunnel, when he underwent surgery for a herniated disc in his back at just 21 years old, overcoming an injury that seriously threatened his career. Now, he seems to see the light again, after a year and a half in darkness. “There were times when I felt more or less good, and obviously I was happier and had happier thoughts, and there have been others when I didn’t like it. It bothered me. Three or four weeks ago, it seemed like I was going to start competing again and I noticed discomfort again, and then somewhat self-destructive, negative thoughts came to me, thinking that I was not going to recover, that whenever it seemed that It was okay, something was happening again. But hey, I’m here. Let’s hope it lasts and that he plays,” he says.
He says that the hardest thing has been those small setbacks. “The certainty that this was not going to go one hundred percent right.” Despite the tranquility that the doctors tried to convey to him, his mind played tricks on him and he became distrustful. “I have spent a long time without that certainty of saying: well, I do these things that I am told, I have these sensations and I am moving forward. In other words, there are many things that influence it, you have to be very careful when loading, without rushing. Luckily, now it seems that I am fine, but I do not rule out that I play four hours, wake up and have pain or discomfort. It is part of the process, the competition, which in the end is not the same as training,” he said goodbye on Sunday. And now, defeated, but like a child with new shoes, he seems happy.
DJOKOVIC SERIOUS, VERY SERIOUS
AC | Paris
Late in the day, Novak Djokovic certified victory against local Pierre-Hugues Herbert (6-4 7-6(3) 6-4). Craftsmanship and seriousness, a lot of seriousness from a number one in low hours. In the next season he will meet the Spanish Roberto Carballés, superior Constant Lestienne (6-3, 7-5, 4-6 and 6-2).
The Serbian will have to reach the final of the tournament to retain the ATP throne. Otherwise, the Italian Jannik Sinner – scheduled this Wednesday with Richard Gasquet – will unseat him.
On the other hand, Jaume Munar beat Roberto Bautista (6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and 6-1) and will face Alex De Miñaur; meanwhile, Alejandro Davidovich beat Valentin Vacherot 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 and 7-6(2) and will clash with Casper Ruud; At the last minute, Paula Badosa overcame Katie Boulter (4-6, 7-5 and 6-4) and will face Yulia Putintseva; and shortly before, Novak Djokovic resolved: 6-4, 7-6(3) and 6-4 to Herbert.
On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz faces Jesper de Jong (around 2:00 p.m., Eurosport). Pedro Martínez (Andrey Rublev) and Cristina Bucsa (Elisabetta Cocciaretto) will also play.
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