Fact Check: Is Carlos Alcaraz Diabetic?

Carlos Alcaraz has proven himself to be a worthy successor to the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Regarded as one of the fittest players in the sport, Alcaraz has used his athleticism to a great advantage in winning 13 titles (2 Grand Slams) across his young career.

Considering that Alcaraz hasn’t been as physically imposing during the ongoing French Open 2024, rumors of the Spaniard being diabetic have been circulated. Many fans have had the query online – ‘Is Carlos Alcaraz diabetic?’

Claim: Carlos Alcaraz Is Diabetic

Apart from the fact that Carlos Alcaraz has won merely 1 title all 2024 season, he hasn’t been as physically dominant as before. Despite dropping merely one set through the first four matches at Roland Garros, the 21-year-old hasn’t been as commanding as his regular self.

Considering that Alcaraz has been quite successful on the surface in the past, winning no titles in the 2024 clay swing would have been justified if the El Palmar native was diagnosed with diabetes.

Fact & Verdict: Alcaraz Is Not Diabetic

Fans of Carlos Alcaraz will be pleased to learn that despite all the chatter, there is no reason to believe that the youngster has diabetes. These rumors surrounding Alcaraz having diabetes are false and baseless and are based just out of curiosity on the internet.

However, there is a logical reason behind the drop in Carlos’ physicality during the ongoing Grand Slam. The 2003-born athlete suffered an injury during the Madrid Open 2024. A muscle edema in his forearm resulted in Alcaraz skipping the Italian Open 2024. While the injury isn’t acting like an obstacle, it sure is annoying him a tad bit.

I felt some pain after playing in Madrid, some discomfort in my arm. Today I did some tests and I have a muscle edema in my pronator teres, a consequence of my recent injury. Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Rome. I need to rest so I can recover and play 100% pain…

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) May 3, 2024

Howevere, there have been other tennis players who were diagnosed with diabetes in the past. Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King both had Type-2 diabetes.

Among active players, Alexander Zverev has been combating Type 1 diabetes since the age of 3. The details of the German’s disease were made well known to fans during the French Open 2023. Zverev seemed to be livid after he wasn’t allowed to take his medication – insulin injection – during the fourth-round clash against Grigor Dimitrov during the ongoing 2024 edition.

The German star spoke about it extensively in an interview with Tennis Channel once. He was also seen supporting charity causes in the second season of Netflix’s show Break Point and has a foundation named after him specifically catering to children having the same disease by providing them with resources to combat it, free of cost.