Alcaraz arrives in Turin with right-knee taping ahead of 2026 ATP Finals
Carlos Alcaraz arrived in Turin with tape on his right knee ahead of the ATP Finals, which begin on November 15, and drew attention during a training session at the Inalpi Arena after his arrival.
The Spaniard is the second seed at the season-ending event and is the World No. 2; he is a seven-time Grand Slam champion whose best result at the ATP Finals remains a runner-up finish in 2025 when he lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets. His first reported practice at the Inalpi Arena lasted about an hour and was observed by followers and media on site.
Photographs and footage from that session showed strapping on Alcaraz’s right knee and a patellar support band, and a social-media clip captured him performing an exercise with an unstrung racquet: "En el inicio del entrenamiento, Alcaraz está realizando un ejercicio con una raqueta sin cordaje. pic.twitter.com/5HxwMVt7yx". He appeared to complete the hour-long practice without any major discomfort, although the reason for the strapping has not been disclosed.
Some fans on social media reported seeing a limp during the session, and Alcaraz was previously observed shaking out his knee during the Paris Masters final. Spanish outlet Punto de Break linked the issue to discomfort that may have carried over from that match against Ben Shelton and warned it was a concern for Spain’s Davis Cup Finals tie in Bologna the following week.
Punto de Break wrote: "Durante la final con Shelton, Alcaraz sufrió alguna pequeña molestia en la rodilla derecha.El murciano ha aparecido en Turín con un vendaje kinesiotape y otro de soporte rotuliano.¿Con qué finalidad?Probablemente, haya sufrido dolor en el tendón y estas cintas le… https://t.co/9k1FWb8aVf". The report suggested the problem appeared to stem from the Paris final and flagged the upcoming national tie as an additional worry.
Alcaraz arrives in Turin having won Vienna without dropping a set and then claiming the Paris title, avenging his US Open defeat to Shelton in that final; he is described in reports as the favourite to lift the ATP Finals trophy for the first time and is aiming for a third straight tournament victory. Jannik Sinner, who beat Alcaraz in last year’s ATP Finals final and was the defending champion, is absent after ending his season early due to a knee injury.
Alcaraz headlines the Ivan Lendl group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe and will open his campaign against Tiafoe on November 16. The reason for the knee taping remains unconfirmed and further practice sessions in Turin are expected to clarify whether the strapping is precautionary; media reports also say the condition could affect Spain’s Davis Cup Finals tie in Bologna the following week.