ATP Finals: Coach says Carlos Alcaraz will not be 100 percent ready for Rublev match

World number three Carlos Alcaraz faces an uphill battle to perform at his peak against Andrey Rublev in Wednesday’s ATP Finals match as the illness continues to affect him, according to his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz struggled in his opening match, losing 6-1, 7-5 to Norway’s Casper Ruud on Monday, and even canceled his scheduled public training session on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists, Ferrero said: Alcaraz is showing some movement on the pitchit becomes difficult to breathe. The coach said that the Spaniard’s chest was tight at the moment and that it was a bad time for him to get sick. Ferrero said Alcaraz should be able to play against Rublev but admitted the world No. 3 would not be at his best.

“As soon as he moves a little bit, it becomes difficult for him to breathe. His chest is a little tight. It’s a bad time to get sick,” Ferrero told reporters on Tuesday.

“We should not predict whether he will play tomorrow or not. We have all played in these conditions. I don’t think it will be so bad that he cannot play. It will be difficult for him.” Be 100% tomorrow.”

Ferrero also said that Rublev is a player who moves around a lot and that is currently hindering Alcaraz and costing him some money.

“Rublev is a very mobile player, you have to use your legs very well and that’s what’s costing him a little more at the moment, recovering between points.”

Since winning the title in Beijing in October, the 21-year-old Spaniard’s form has been inconsistent, especially since his Wimbledon victory earlier in the year. His recent setbacks include an unexpected second-round loss at the US Open and a last-16 loss to Ugo Humbert at the Paris Masters.

After his match against Rublev, Alcaraz will face world number two Alexander Zverev in the final round match of the prestigious eight-man tournament. Last year, Alcaraz reached the semifinals before losing to Novak Djokovic and eventually won the title.