Alex updated his injury on IG story:
“Hi everyone, after discussing everything with the team, the goalis to be back for Wimbledon, but we definitely don't want to take any risks. We're gonna work really hard to get back on court as soon as possible. See you soon!!”
Update from Alexander Blockx:
he has a tear in the same ligament he injured at the US Open last year.
They still aim to go to Wimbledon but will not force his recovery and will not take any risks.
Actually frustration that actually first came to his mind. He also said in the locker room that there were all kinds of flashbacks in his head.
"Yes, I'm so looking forward to really making it a battle against De Minaur tomorrow"
"I'm looking forward to playing on grass"
Ruben Bemelmans: “It’s just part of a tennis career. An injury never happens at a good time, whether you’re in form or not. But he’s always come back stronger after every injury. So, I don't think this one will be any different.”
More info on Alex’s injury
It happened during a return-of-serve drill with Fonseca at the end of practice; he stepped onto a tarp with his right foot and twisted his ankle.
Kurt Janssen (fitness coach) and Nicolas Dams (physio) were right there, they applied ice to reduce the inflammation, there was some slight swelling. Alex had an ultrasound but it didn't reveal much, don’t know yet if it's very serious.
Alex injured his ankle during a practice session this Tuesday afternoon with Joao Fonseca. He will now return to Belgium to undergo further medical examinations to determine the exact nature of his injury.
Alex’s father Oleg and mother Natalia traveled to Paris to watch Alex’s matches, this is the first time they came abroad to watch a pro tournament. Oleg had a short interview sharing his feelings about Alex’s recent performance.
Oleg confirmed that Alex’s calm demeanor concealed a deep ambition: “He wants to break into the top 10. He’s been saying that from the very beginning. He always wants to be number one in everything.”
About the sacrifices made to help Alex achieve his dream, “I’m not going to start talking about that now. That’s all in the past. Let’s just say that all the effort and perseverance were worth it. We are simple people. It’s nice to hear the fans cheering him on.”
“At certain moments, you feel like he's beatable, but he controls everything to perfection. Over time, he simply outplays you tactically. That feeling that you have to play at your absolute maximum level just to win every single point, I think that's his greatest strength.”
Alex reflected on the practice session with Sinner: “We hardly missed any balls during the warm-up. I felt like we were hitting almost exactly the same shots. On top of that, he's a really pleasant practice partner. He's incredibly calm and just goes about his business quietly.”
R1 press conference
On his sliding: “We've been working a lot on the sliding part on clay. And I was really happy to see during the match today that it went better and better. And I feel like I really took advantage of a few points because of those sliding.”
On the conditions: “This afternoon when I had my 30 mins warmup it was really hot but it didn't feel that hot during my match. I feel it's like faster than usual clay courts, especially if you compared to my last tournament in Rome. It was definitely more comparable to Madrid.”