Who can stop Carlos Alcaraz at the moment? Well, as it turns out, it may not be a question of who, but rather what. Because following the loss at the final of Wimbledon, Alcaraz has been on a tear. His US Open run was as thrilling as it was dominant, with only one set dropped throughout. And then in Tokyo, the ankle he tweaked in his first match wasn’t enough to stop him from winning the title. But now it looks like that injury can be ignored no longer, as it’s put a stop to the Spaniard’s momentum for now: he has had to pull out of the upcoming Shanghai Masters.

Announcing this unfortunate news, Alcaraz took to his Instagram handle to write, “I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year! Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believed the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!”

Injury aside, it also leaves the door cracked open for Sinner to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking, especially with no major barrier to victory at the Shanghai Masters with the Spaniard out. If Sinner were to win Beijing, Shanghai, and Vienna, it would put him in pole position to end the year as World No. 1 if he can win the ATP Finals in Turin too.

With the race to finish the year as world number 1 heating up between him and Sinner, Alcaraz’s fans were disappointed after he pulled out of the Shanghai Masters. This can have a serious blow on Alcaraz in this regard, but fans wished him a speedy recovery ahead.

Fans pray for Carlos Alcaraz as an injury blow comes to the fore

The Spaniard suffered a nasty fall during his first-round encounter at the Japan Open and injured his ankle in the process. Although he continued playing in that tournament and won it, his team advised him to get suitable rest. While fans were disappointed not to see him play in Shanghai, they wished to see him get well soon. One fan wrote, “Sad but hope he can recovery soon especially his ankle problem.” With Alcaraz having reached 9 consecutive finals with his Tokyo appearance, he’s matched these greats: Rafael Nadal, Ilie Nastase, and Jimmy Connors. Whether you’re an Alcaraz fan or not, it’s undeniable that his absence makes for a less thrilling tour.

Further, some fans thought that it was a blessing in disguise to see Alcaraz resting and not playing in back-to-back tournaments. “That’s a good move – need to rest up champ,” a concerned fan said, as he wanted him to prioritize his well-being, now that the Grand Slams were done for this season. And after playing just over 70 tour matches this season, well, it’s a lot of strain to put on one body.

Similarly, another fan had mixed feelings after Alcaraz pulled out of the Shanghai Masters. The fan revealed, “heartbroken but im glad he’ll be resting.” With still a long way to go in Alcaraz’s career, he has to listen to his body and not push it beyond the limit to continue playing at the top.

Further, a fan acknowledged the tough tennis calendar and how playing back-to-back tournaments can take a toll on the players’ bodies. Thus, when Alcaraz pulled out of the Shanghai Masters, the fan said, “quite a relief the last leg of the season is crazyyyyy and at least he gets a reprieve.” With this, Alcaraz would be able to recover for the latter part of the season, with tournaments like the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals still to come. And with Sinner having an opportunity to reclaim his top spot in the rankings, it only makes sense for Alcaraz to rest up in order to fully commit to his rankings defense.

Lastly, one fan even suggested a different idea to Alcaraz so that he could play the entire Asian Swing. “Hope he skip LC next year and just be ready 100% for Asian swing,” the fan said, as he wanted Alcaraz to miss the Laver Cup, which is not an ATP tournament. The Laver Cup has also been critiqued for being scheduled so soon after the US Open. For Alcaraz, who reached the final and won, he only had just under two weeks to rest up before heading out to San Francisco.

Alcaraz missed the Shanghai Masters last year as well and doesn’t have any points to defend. Nonetheless, he hopes to come back fitter and stronger next month and continue to win matches and keep his world No. 1 ranking.