Carlos Alcaraz has suffered a major injury scare ahead of his first match at the 2024 US Open next week. A dicey moment saw the Spaniard abruptly end his training session alongside Francisco Cerundolo on Saturday.

Alcaraz is one of the heavyweight contenders on the men's side of the draw at Flushing Meadows, having opened his Grand Slam account with a US Open victory back in 2022, when he was still a teenager.

His preparation for the tournament has been far from ideal, suffering a first-round exit at the Cincinnati Masters earlier this month due to a surprise three-set defeat against veteran Gael Monfils.

And things appear to have worsened for Alcaraz, who rolled his ankle during a training session with world No.29 Cerundolo. The session was immediately halted for Alcaraz to talk with his team, and the 21-year-old briskly disappeared behind the scenes.

It remains to be seen whether Alcaraz is able to recover in time for his US Open first-round contest against Li Tu, which is currently slated for Tuesday next week. Alcaraz heads into the action as the third seed behind Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic may have a psychological advantage over Alcaraz at present due to his win over the Spaniard at the Paris Olympics. But Sinner is perhaps better prepared than either of them, with his hard-court credentials boosted by an impresive tournament triumph in Cincinnati.

Tennis legend John McEnroe believes that Alcaraz jumping straight into Cincinnati, less than two weeks after his Olympics heartbreak, may not have been the wisest choice looking ahead to the US Open.

"Alcaraz is my favourite player to watch right now," McEnroe told Eurosport. "You know he brings everything. I like people that can do everything. It almost seems impossible that someone like him could stay so positive, always smiling.

"It’s hard to believe he wouldn’t get frustrated, especially in a sport as mentally tough as tennis. I’m sure, in a way, he probably needed a longer break. But maybe he felt some pressure because Novak wasn’t playing, and at 37.

"In hindsight, he probably would have been better off not playing at all. Given everything that’s happened, emotionally, it’s going to be a big ask for him to win this tournament. How much does he have left in the tank? This might open the door for someone outside of the three guys we expect… the door is certainly open for a surprise."