Carlos Alcaraz forced to pull out of Australian Open as gutted Spaniard posts statement | Tennis | Sport

Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to pull out of the Australian Open due to injury. The Spaniard revealed that he would have to skip the competition on his social media, telling his Australian fans ‘see you in 2024’.

The 19-year-old has revealed that he has sustained a muscle injury that will rule him out of the competition. Alcaraz posted on his Instagram: “It is time to deal with another blow.

“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, Australian Open.”

Alcaraz was one of the standout stars of 2022, where he rose through the rankings to claim the world No 1 spot – becoming the youngest man ever to take the position. The teenage sensation won five titles last year, including his first Grand Slam at the US Open, and was looking to get 2023 off to a flying start in Melbourne.

However, Alcaraz will be forced to postpone his plans until he has overcome his leg injury. His absence means that fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal will now become top seed as he looks to defend his title.

Alcaraz is not the only star that will not feature at the competition, after news broke earlier this week that Emma Raducanu is also potentially set to spend some time on the sidelines. She was forced to withdraw from her ASB Classic match against Viktoria Kuzmova earlier this week after slipping on the court but has still flown to Australia despite her tournament being in doubt.

The impact of the ankle injury could force the British No 1 to sit out from the Australian Open, and Raducanu was well aware of that as she left the court in tears. Speaking after the match, she said: “It’s difficult to take. I’ve put a lot of physical work in the last few months and I’ve been feeling good and optimistic.

“So to be stopped by a freak injury, rolling an ankle is pretty disappointing, in the first week as well. I thought I was playing some pretty decent tennis. The courts are incredibly slick, like very slippery, so to be honest it’s not a surprise that this happened to someone. It’s out of my control and after a very long day of waiting around. But we’ll assess over the next few days and see what the next steps are.”