Alcaraz unlikely to be at 100% for Rublev match at ATP Finals - Ferrero

World number three Carlos Alcaraz (21) is not expected to perform at his peak during Wednesday's ATP Finals match against Andrey Rublev (27), as the four-time Grand Slam champion continues to battle illness, according to his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz, who appeared out of sorts, suffered a defeat of 6-1, 7-5 to Norway's Casper Ruud in his opening match on Monday and subsequently canceled a public training session the next day.

"Whenever he moves even slightly, he finds it difficult to breathe. His chest feels somewhat constricted. This is an unfortunate time for him to be unwell," Ferrero informed reporters on Tuesday.

"We cannot predict whether he will compete tomorrow. We have all experienced similar situations. I do not believe he will be in such poor condition that he cannot play, but it will be challenging for him to be at 100% tomorrow.

"Rublev is a highly mobile player, and one must be in excellent physical condition, which is currently a challenge for him, particularly in terms of recovery between points."

Alcaraz secured the title in Beijing in October; however, his performance since winning Wimbledon earlier this year has been inconsistent, marked by a second-round exit at the US Open and a defeat to Ugo Humbert in the round of 16 at the Paris Masters.

Following his match against Rublev on Wednesday, he will face world number two Alexander Zverev in his final round-robin match of the eight-player event.

Last year, Alcaraz reached the semi-finals of the ATP Finals, where he was defeated by the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic.

SportsLigue