World number three Carlos Alcaraz withdrew on Friday from next week’s ATP Italian Open due to ongoing pain in his right forearm, an injury that sidelined him in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
This setback comes just weeks before the second Grand Slam of the season, the French Open.
The Spaniard shared on X, previously known as Twitter, that he experienced discomfort in his arm after playing in Madrid, where he suffered a loss on Wednesday.
Regrettably, he announced that he would not be participating in Rome, citing the need for rest to ensure a full recovery and the ability to play without pain.
Alcaraz saw his title defence and 14-match winning streak in Madrid come to an end with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat midweek to Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.
He had played for nearly three hours on Tuesday in a three-set win over last year’s runner-up Jan-Lennard Struff and felt the effects against Rublev.
After Wednesday’s match, Alcaraz reflected on his performance, stating that he constantly considers his forearm when hitting the forehand, assessing whether he feels any discomfort.
He acknowledged the need for diligent work in the coming days to ensure he arrives in Rome with confidence and without pain, acknowledging that the process will likely be slow and require patience.
Alcaraz revealed that he had played with “difficult feelings” towards the end of the match against Rublev, opting to slice his forehand more to put less stress on his forearm.
The French Open, the sole Grand Slam on clay, gets underway on May 26. Alcaraz reached last year’s semi-finals.
The two-time Grand Slam champion, who won the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon last year, turns 21 on Sunday.
With AFP
