Carlos Alcaraz INJURY Update, Underarm Serve Drama & More | 5 SETTER

Key Takeaways

• •

  Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Barcelona with wrist injury

  “Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open with a right-wrist injury just 48 hours after losing the Monte Carlo Masters final to Yannick Sinner, a loss that dropped him from world number one to world number two. Addressing the local media in Spanish, Carlos made it clear that this was a health call, not a tactical one, saying, 'I have to listen to my body, listen to what's best for me, and won't harm me in the future.' No timeline was given for a return to the courts, but the clock is ticking as he is set to defend his Rome title in just a few weeks.”

• •

  Underarm ace on match point sparks sportsmanship debate

  “Nuno Borges, the Portuguese world number 52, had a 6-4 lead in the second set tiebreak against Tomás Martín Echeverry, and Borges delivered an Underarm Ace on Match Point. Echeverry didn't get a racket on it, put his hands on his hips, walked to the net, delivered possibly the frostiest handshake we've seen thus far of the clay season and the Catalan crowd booed. So here's the debate: Is the Underarm Serve tactical genius or is it disrespectful?”

• •

  Roland Garros increases 2026 prize money to record levels

  “Roland Garros announced this week that the 2026 prize money is jumping 9.5%, bringing the total purse to 61.7 million euros, or $72.7 million, making it a $6.2 million jump from last year. The singles winners will take home $3.3 million, but the real number is $102,000—that is what the first-round losers will take home. I don't know about you, but sign me up for taking an L on the red clay.”

• •

  Boris Becker's US Open trophy sets auction price record

  “Borris Becker's 1989 US Open trophy, the trophy he lifted after beating Ivan Lindell in four sets, just sold at auction this past Sunday for $357,546. That's now the most expensive tennis trophy ever sold at public auction. Interestingly enough, the $357,000 this trophy just sold for is more than the $300,000 in prize money Becker earned for winning the trophy in the first place.”

• •

  NCAA allows junior prospects to accept pro prize money

  “Prospects of any age can now accept prize money in their sport without impacting their college eligibility. This change appears to be a direct result of the class action lawsuit filed by Reese Brantmeyer, the UNC tennis player who sued the NCAA over this exact rule. One catch though, the minute they enroll in college, locked out again until they turn pro. Make that make sense.”

Episode Description

5 SETTER: This Week in Racket Sports, where we bring you the top five headlines across tennis, padel, pickleball, and more. In this episode: 1. Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from 2026 Barcelona 2. Underarm Serve on Match Point  3. Roland Garros increases prize money in 2026 4. Borris Becker sells his US Open Trophy for $357k 5. The NCAA changes their prize money rule for junior players Read this week’s bonus stories! Subscribe to the 5-Setter Newsletter: https://www.newsletter.servedpodcast.com/ Grab Some Served Merch: https://store.servedpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices