Carlos Alcaraz announced withdrawal from the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters in a series of sad events in the tennis world.
Only minutes before the young Spaniard announced his withdrawal, one of his idols, Rafael Nadal also withdrew from the event and so the Monte-Carlo Masters has been dealt a significant blow as two of Spain's brightest tennis stars withdrew from the ATP 1000 event which runs from April 9th to 16th.
After two months abroad, Alcaraz returned to Spain with a lingering sense of physical discomfort following his last match in Miami, which he lost to Jannik Sinner. An evaluation by his doctor, Juanjo Lopez, in Murcia revealed that the young player is suffering from post-traumatic arthritis in his left hand and muscular discomfort in his spine.
As a result, Alcaraz will miss the Monte-Carlo Masters to focus on recovering and preparing for future tournaments. The teenager will surely want to go deep at the Roland Garros and that may be his main goal for the upcoming clay-court season. In a statement, he revealed:
"After two months abroad, I am happy to return home but sad because I finished my last match in Miami with physical discomfort. After visiting my doctor Juanjo Lopez in Murcia today and being evaluated, I will not be able to go to Monte Carlo to start the clay court tour."
In a heartfelt statement, Alcaraz shared his mixed emotions about the situation, expressing both happiness at returning home and sadness for missing the tournament that he hopes to compete at in 2024.
"I have post-traumatic arthritis in my left hand and muscular discomfort in the spine that needs rest to prepare for everything that is to come. See you in 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters."
The withdrawal surely doesn't help Alcaraz in his chances of reclaiming the top spot in the ATP Rankings, as he lost it after the Miami Open exit, and on Monday, the 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic became the world no. 1 again. The Serb is set to compete in Monte Carlo and he'll have a good chance to sprint away from the Spaniard.
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