Carlos Alcaraz resorted to the tried and tested nasal plaster at the ATP finals. ©Imago/La Presse
Carlos Alcaraz is currently playing at the ATP Finals in Turin. After he lost his opening game against Casper Ruud because he was injured, he is now resorting to a nasal plaster. What’s the secret behind it?
Carlos Alcaraz certainly imagined the start of the 2024 ATP Finals to be different. After all, his opponent Casper Ruud has only won one game since the US Open. In the end, the scoreboard read 1:6, 5:7 from the Spaniard’s point of view. After the match, Carlos Alcaraz complained of stomach problems and a cold in the run-up to the tournament.
Nasal plasters are said to defy health problems
In order to be as little affected as possible by the after-effects of the cold in his game against Andrey Rublev, the world number three resorted to a nasal plaster. The strip, which you stick horizontally on your nose, is intended to make nasal breathing easier. Although a performance-increasing effect cannot be clearly proven according to scientific studies, the mechanical expansion of the nasal entrance area helps with better breathing.
In any case, Carlos Alcaraz had success with the tape on his nose: He beat Andrey Rublev 6:3, 7:6 and thus took his first win in the group phase. The four-time Grand Slam winner wanted to keep the rallies as short as possible. However, this wasn’t always possible, which is why Alcaraz occasionally had to resort to his spectacular style of play.
Are you not ENTERTAINED? 🤩@carlosalcaraz stunning the #NittoATPFinals crowd with a WORLDIE 🌎 pic.twitter.com/KbDMWvwvDg
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 13, 2024
Group final against Alexander Zverev
He thought he would feel better, but it was okay, said Alcaraz about his health after the game against Rublev. On Friday, the Spaniard faces probably the most difficult task in the group with Alexander Zverev. The German tennis star will first face Casper Ruud on Wednesday evening.
