Amidst the roar of a fervent Italian crowd, Carlos Alcaraz fell 7-6, 7-5 after two hours and 15 minutes. It was their sixth meeting of the season. Alcaraz had won four of the previous ones, while Sinner had taken two. So what went wrong this time? It seems like a former ATP pro believes she knows the exact reason why the Spaniard came up short.

Laura Robson, former world No. 27 and Tennis Channel consultant, explained what influenced Carlos Alcaraz’s defeat to Jannik Sinner in the final. Robson believes Alcaraz was forced to change his game because of the niggle in his thigh, saying, “For me, I felt the pain in his thigh played a role.” It all started in the first set. After feeling something on a serve, Alcaraz took a hop and a skip, testing things out before deciding to call for a medical timeout.

After a few minutes of massage, Alcaraz continued with his thigh heavily strapped. Despite the taped thigh, he didn’t look hampered and continued to move well on court. However, the injury subtly changed his approach. Robson observed, “So we saw him go even more power, even more with his returns, more variety trying to drop shot more. The tape on his hamstring wasn’t doing anything by the end of the match, that had gone to pieces down his leg.”

The adjustment kept him in the match, but by the end, it wasn’t enough.

“We saw him try to do everything, as he had no choice against Jannik. But he enjoyed it, and that’s the best part,” continued Robson.

While the injury didn’t stop him outright, it clearly prevented him from going at Sinner full throttle, allowing his rival to claim victory in a tightly contested final. Despite the loss, one challenge still awaits: the Davis Cup. Now the question is whether Carlos Alcaraz is healthy enough to compete.

Will Carlos Alcaraz’s health allow him to compete in the Davis Cup?

Carlos Alcaraz may have lost the ATP Finals, but he refused to let his injury steal the spotlight. In his post-match press conference, he downplayed the hamstring issue, saying, “I’m not going to say I could play better or I could do something better if my hamstring were well. I could play a really good tennis with it. The loss is because he deserved it.”

But now, his focus has already shifted to the Davis Cup finals, which begin on Tuesday.

The world No. 1 will have three days to prepare and get used to the Super Tennis Arena in Bologna, where Spain faces the Czech Republic in the quarter-final on Thursday. When asked about his severity of the injury, Alcaraz reassured the media: “Tomorrow, we will travel to Bologna. We will see how my thigh is doing over the next few days. My intention is to play the Davis Cup. I was able to run during the final, without taking risks. And I didn’t lose the match because of that.”

Still, concerns remain. Carlos Alcaraz is set to undergo an MRI on his right hamstring, raising questions about his fitness. His body, already taxed by abdominal and back issues, now faces another major test. While he has already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking, the real challenge is keeping his body in one piece, or he risks celebrating from a hospital bed rather than on the court.