Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked third in the world, has announced his withdrawal from the Italian Open citing a right forearm injury. This injury had previously led him to pull out of tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. The decision to withdraw comes after Alcaraz's recent defeat in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev in a three-set match.
Alcaraz took to his social media channels to explain the situation, stating that he experienced pain and discomfort in his arm following his matches in Madrid. Tests revealed a muscle edema in his pronator teres, a condition related to his existing injury. As a result, he has made the difficult decision to skip the Italian Open in order to focus on recovery and return to the court pain-free.
During his time in Madrid, Alcaraz had been seen wearing a compression sleeve on his right forearm. The young Spaniard, who will turn 21 on Sunday, is now setting his sights on the upcoming French Open, scheduled to begin on May 26. Alcaraz reached the semifinals at Roland Garros last year, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz is not the only top player facing physical challenges. Second-ranked Jannik Sinner recently withdrew from a match in Madrid due to a hip injury, while fourth-ranked Daniil Medvedev retired from his quarterfinal match after the first set because of an issue with his upper right leg. Despite these setbacks, top-ranked Djokovic is expected to return to action in Rome.
Looking ahead, Alcaraz's absence from the Italian Open means fans will have to wait until the French Open to see the reigning Wimbledon champion and 2022 U.S. Open champion back in action. Last year in Rome, Alcaraz was eliminated in his second match by qualifier Fabian Marozsan.
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