Carlos Alcaraz will miss the Australian Open due to injury

“When I was in my best pre-season moment, I cut myself in an accidental and forced gesture while training, this time in the semi-membranosus muscle of my right leg. I worked so hard to get to my best form in Australia,” he wrote in his first Twitter post.

“Unfortunately I won’t be able to play Care A2+ Kooyong or the Australian Open. It’s a tough time, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. See you at the 2024 Australian Open,” the 19-year-old added.

Alcaraz became the youngest player to reach world number one since the ATP ranking was established in 1973 in 2022, after winning the US Open in September at the age of 19. A few months later, he was also the youngest to finish the year at the top of the standings.

An abdominal tear led him to leave in the quarter-finals of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 in November, after which he had to end his season, unable to be either in the season-ending Masters in Turin or in the final stage of the Davis Cup.

His return to Melbourne was especially expected in view of the final duel with Novak Djokovic, the best player on hard courts (nine Australian Open titles and three in the US). The Serbian returns in 2023 to the first ‘big’ of the season, which he could not dispute last year due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

And the Australian Open wrote on its official Twitter account: “We regret not being able to see you this year, Carlos Alcaraz. We wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you back on the track soon.”

In 2021, in his first participation in the event, Alcaraz was eliminated in the third round by Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, in a tie-breaker of the fifth set.