Carlos Alcaraz to miss 2023 Australian Open due to off-season right leg injury
The reigning US Open was forced withdraw from the 2022 ATP Finals after incurring an abdominal injury, but had returned to action in December to play an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
WATCH: Alcaraz won one of the best matches of 2022 against Novak Djokovic en route to the Mutua Madrid Open title.
Carlos Alcaraz will miss the 2023 Australian Open due to a right leg injury picked up during off-season training, the world No. 1 announced on Instagram Friday afternoon.
“When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training,” Alcaraz wrote. “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 @australianopen.”
The reigning US Open champion has been snakebitten by various injuries of late, retiring from the Rolex Paris Masters event last fall due to an abdominal injury that ultimately kept him from making a Nitto ATP Finals debut.
Alcaraz was nonetheless back on court in December to play the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, where he endured two defeats to Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.
The 19-year-old became the youngest-ever ATP world No. 1 last summer after a breakthrough season that included two Masters 1000 victories culminated with a maiden major victory in Flushing Meadows. Alcaraz undoubtedly looked to continue his Grand Slam winning streak at the Australian Open, where he reached the third round in 2022.