Tennis players wonder if nasal strips aren't just for snoring anymore

Carlos Alcaraz, the four-time Grand Slam champion, has often worn a nasal strip in matches, and the sport's other athletes have taken note.

PARIS — If more tennis players find themselves breathing easier, it might just be thanks to Carlos Alcaraz.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, whose bid for a second consecutive French Open title was scheduled to continue with a third-round match Friday night, has often worn a nasal strip in matches since last season — although not during his first two contests at Roland-Garros this week — and the sport's other athletes took note.

After all, if Alcaraz finds something useful on the court, their thinking goes, maybe it makes sense to give the adhesive bands a shot.

"I saw Carlos playing in it," said 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, a semifinalist in Paris last year and the No. 6 women's seed this time. "I'd be pretty interested to try and see if there is really a difference. If he plays matches in it, then probably there is."

At the 2024 season-ending ATP Finals last November, Alcaraz said: "It is something that I'm going to wear more often. I could recover better between points."