Some background behind the injury that forced Carlos Alcaraz to withdraw from the 2023 Australian Open has been revealed in Spain.
The unfortunate incident occurred in one of Carlos’ last training sessions before flying to Melbourne. The 19-year-old from Murcia was in fact training with the very young American Darwin Blanch in the academy of Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The intensity was very high and Alcaraz looked in great shape, until he went into the split to recover a short ball from Blanch. The ATP No. 1 immediately felt sharp pain and was knocked down.
Carlos should have stopped as a precaution, but he decided to continue reassuring his coach. The practice match ended a few minutes later, but the pain persisted. Subsequent tests revealed an injury to his right leg.
It would not be a too serious injury, so much so that Alcaraz should recover in time for the ATP in Rio de Janeiro.
Carlos Alcaraz will not participate in the 2023 Australian Open
For the second consecutive year, therefore, the Happy Slam will not be able to count on the number 1 in the world. Last year it was Novak Djokovic who had to give up the first Slam of the season, thanks to the well-known soap opera that had led to his expulsion from the country.
The Serbian had paid for his choice not to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus, while Carlos had to forfeit due to an injury to his right leg. The last few months have been difficult for the 19-year-old Spaniard, who was forced to miss the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup finals late last year due to an abdominal tear.
Juan Carlos Ferrero’s player had started the pre-season late compared to the other players and hadn’t entered any official tournaments before the Australian Open. The young Iberian could lose the first position of the ATP ranking at the end of the Australian Open.
Casper Ruud will only need to reach the final to become number 1, while Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas will necessarily have to win the tournament.
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