Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has announced his withdrawal from the Monte Carlo Masters due to a right forearm injury.
In a social media post on Tuesday, he expressed his disappointment, stating, "Despite my efforts to recover from an injured pronator teres in my right arm while training in Monte Carlo, I'm unable to compete."
The 20-year-old Spaniard, who last played in Miami, where he suffered a defeat against Grigor Dimitrov, was slated to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round on Wednesday.
However, his absence has paved the way for Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who enters as a lucky loser, as announced by the ATP.
Alcaraz, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion, expressed his regret, saying, "I was really looking forward to playing... See you next year!" Interestingly, despite his previous successes, he's yet to secure a victory at the Monte Carlo Masters.
In 2022, after an exhausting American tour where he reached the semi-final in Indian Wells and triumphed in Miami, Alcaraz faltered in his opening match against Sebastian Korda. Last year, he withdrew just before the tournament commenced.
This time, Alcaraz waited until the third day to confirm his withdrawal, although it was anticipated given his lackluster performance in recent training sessions. His injury adds to the woes of Spanish tennis, following Rafael Nadal's withdrawal last week. However, there's hope for Nadal's return at the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz now faces a race against time to recover for the Barcelona Open, where he aims to continue his winning streak on the Catalan clay.
