Due to a leg muscle injury sustained during training, Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Australian Open.
The world’s top-ranked player at age 19 won the US Open in September, making him one of the favorites at Melbourne Park and a potential rival for nine-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz, however, declared that he wouldn’t be ready to play in time due to a hamstring issue, keeping him out of the first grand slam of the tennis season.
He wrote on Twitter: “When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training.
“This time it’s the semimembranosus muscle in my right leg. I’d worked so hard to get to my best level for Australia but unfortunately I won’t be able to play the Care A2+ Kooyong or the Australian Open.
“It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. See you in 2024 @australianopen.”
The Kooyong event is an exhibition tournament ahead of the major, and it is the Australian Open where his absence will be most sorely felt.
Alcaraz has emerged as the pick of the new generation of players, with his high-intensity game winning him a legion of supporters and bringing him a host of titles already.
He earned $7.6million and picked up five singles titles last season, including the first grand slam crown of his career in New York, ending the year with a 57-13 win-loss record and the ATP top ranking.
Alcaraz’s compatriot Rafael Nadal is the defending champion in Melbourne, while Djokovic returns this year after being deported from Australia 12 months ago amid a vaccination saga.
When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training. This time it's the semimembranosus muscle in my right leg. pic.twitter.com/nJbIlMtGyK
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) January 6, 2023