Why is Carlos Alcaraz wearing a nasal strip against Andrey Rublev in the ATP Finals?

Carlos Alcaraz has become one of the most recognisable sportspeople in the last few years, in which he has won four Grand Slams, 16 ATP Tour titles and had a spell as men’s world No. 1. However, in Wednesday’s ATP Finals round-robin match against Andrey Rublev, the Spaniard debuted a subtle new look.

Alcaraz’s health problems at ATP Finals

The fetching fuchsia nasal strip sported by the 21-year-old, however, wasn’t a fashion statement. Alcaraz suffered a surprise straight-sets defeat to Casper Ruud in his first match of the tournament on Monday, a result which appeared to be iNFLuenced by the heavy cold he was dealing with.

Even Ruud referenced it after his victory, saying he tried to “make him play rallies” as his opponent struggled with his breathing.

Before taking on Rublev, Alcaraz abandoned a practice session after only 10 minutes on Tuesday, which sparked rumours he was poised to withdraw from the tournament.

“When he tries to move a little, he has difficulty breathing, his chest tightens up a bit”, said Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz’s coach. “It’s a bad time to get sick”.

Alcaraz: “I don’t want to make excuses”

In the aftermath of the defeat, Alcaraz himself revealed the illness had also affected his stomach: “This morning, I felt uncomfortable in my stomach. After long rallies today, I didn’t feel well. I don’t want to, you know, say anything because I don’t want it to sound like an excuse. But if I feel bad, I feel bad. That is what happened today.”

Ferrero did, however, voice optimism that his player would be able to take to the court against Rublev and he has been proven right. Alcaraz must beat the Russian to avoid a surprise early exit, but how much of a difference will the nasal strip make?

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