(Reuters) -Carlos Alcaraz believes fatigue contributed to the leg issue that troubled him in his Barcelona Open final defeat and the Spaniard said the gruelling nature of Europe's claycourt swing gave him even more reason to marvel at Rafa Nadal's success.
After winning the Monte Carlo trophy last week, Alcaraz was seeking a third title in four years at Barcelona but the 21-year-old's nine-match winning run on clay was snapped by Dane Holger Rune, who sealed a 7-6(6) 6-2 victory on Sunday.
Alcaraz took a 2-1 lead in the second set but then needed a medical timeout to deal with the leg problem and was unable to turn the match around, leaving some fans worried about his fitness ahead of the Madrid Open, which begins on Wednesday.
"That's what happens when you play so many matches and have so few days to rest. It's so demanding and you have to give 100% every day," Alcaraz said.
"Having played a tournament like Monte Carlo and arriving in Barcelona with few days to adapt is really tough."
Alcaraz said he received kind words from retired 22-times Grand Slam champion Nadal, the last man to win Monte Carlo and Barcelona in consecutive weeks in 2018.
"I bow at the feet of Rafa because of what he did week after week. You have to respect that," Alcaraz said of the 14-times French Open winner.
"We admire Rafa for what he's done on this swing. Winning everything consecutively is impossible. Once you experience it, you appreciate what Rafa did much more and how difficult it is to be 100% physically and mentally week after week."
Alcaraz, who will defend his Roland Garros title when the Grand Slam begins on May 25, was confident he could shake off his latest injury.
"We'll have two days off ... I'll talk with my team, we'll do some tests, but I'm confident it won't affect me in Madrid."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
