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What is the pink strip Carlos Alcaraz wore on his nose at the ATP Finals?

Nasal dilators first gained popularity during the Atlanta Olympics; Robbie Fowler was one of the first footballs to wear the nose strip in the 1990s.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Russia's Andrey Rublev during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Carlos Alcaraz wore what looked like an adhesive strip on his nose during his victory over Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals.

“For me, it helped a lot today. I could breathe much better,” Alcaraz said in the post match press conference.

“I tried to forget about not feeling well, I’m sick, and deliver a really good tennis. That’s what good tennis or top players do, even if you’re not feeling good,” Alcaraz said.

Levitating 💫@carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/irRThwjGtb

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 14, 2024

He had beaten Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (8) for his first win in this year’s ATP Finals.

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The pink strip on the nose is a nasal dilator, which was first made popular during the Atlanta Olympics by runners. Great Britain’s marathon great Paula Radclifee wore one and so did many footballers in the 1990s. Though the nasal dilator has fallen out of fashion, Alcaraz seems to have given it a new lease of life.

These strips worn across the nose keep the nostrils open and help a person take in more air and were initially used to prevent snoring. In football Robbbie Fowler was the one of the first to use the nose strip. The Guardian had reported that the manufacturers of the strip claimed that it improved air flow by 31 per cent.

Reuters quoted Dr. Julia S. Kimbell of the University of North Carolina stating: “It is important to note that while over-the-counter nasal dilators may temporarily induce changes in nasal resistance similar to those induced by surgery, these products cannot provide the long-term treatment for nasal airway obstruction that surgery may offer.”

Alcaraz is likely to continue wearing the strip on his nose: “It is something that I’m going to wear more often,” he explained. “Right now in the situation that I’m in right now, it helps a lot… I’m pretty sure that in the next match I’m going to wear it. Tomorrow’s practice I’m going to wear it, for sure. I felt better,” he said post match.