Carlos Alcaraz was not at his free-flowing best, but he still managed to overcome Botic van de Zandschulp at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam on Tuesday.
The four-time Grand Slam champion prevailed with a 7-6(3) 3-6 6-1 victory over the Dutch wildcard, helping to erase the demons of his shock defeat to the same opponent at last year’s US Open.
This was Alcaraz’s first match since a three-set defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals on January 21.
The Spaniard was also playing his first indoor match of 2025 and sported some black tape across the bridge of his nose.
So, what was the purpose of this mysterious tape?
Alcaraz has worn something similar before – albeit in a brighter pink colour – during last year’s ATP Finals.
The 21-year-old would bow out at the round-robin stage in Turin, losing in straight sets to Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev.
Alcaraz was not feeling 100% at the tournament, battling nasal congestion and breathing difficulties in the end-of-year showpiece competition.
It appears that those same problems have surfaced again, with Alcaraz appearing to suffer from a cold-like illness.
He explained this in his pre-match comments, and said: “I spent a few days at home after Australia, but I got a cold.
“I was struggling a little bit at home. I could only train for two days, and then I had to rest until the cold got better.
“But spending time at home, it doesn’t matter if you are sick, it is always great, having your family there. It allows you to be fresh mentally, to travel again.”
As explained by the Sleep Foundation, nasal strips are pieces of adhesive tape placed on the nose with the intention of widening the nostrils and increasing airflow, improving breathing as a result.
Alcaraz was not feeling 100% at the tournament, battling nasal congestion and breathing difficulties in the end-of-year showpiece competition.
It appears that those same problems have surfaced again, with Alcaraz appearing to suffer from a cold-like illness.
He explained this in his pre-match comments, and said: “I spent a few days at home after Australia, but I got a cold.
“I was struggling a little bit at home. I could only train for two days, and then I had to rest until the cold got better.
“But spending time at home, it doesn’t matter if you are sick, it is always great, having your family there. It allows you to be fresh mentally, to travel again.”
Alcaraz will face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Andrea Vavassori in the next round, and expressed his relief at coming through a tricky encounter against the world No. 84.
He said: “Being a set point down in the first set, I think Botic played a really solid match. Not too many ups and downs for him, really consistent throughout the match.
“I’m just really happy to get through. [I had to] be really focused in the tough moments, to keep pushing and trust the good tennis will come again.
“I’m happy to get through a difficult match and have a chance to get better in the next round.”
