The Australian Open was hit by a high-profile withdrawal when the world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz announced that a leg injury sustained in pre-season training has left him unable to compete.
Absent from the various warm-up tournaments this week, the 19-year-old Spaniard was due to begin his preparations in Melbourne on Tuesday at the Kooyong Classic exhibition. However, it became clear that he was not going to recover in time and the decision was taken not to travel to Australia.
“When I was at my best in pre-season, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training,” Alcaraz said. “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 Kooyong or the Australian Open. It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward.”
It is a great shame that the sport’s most exciting teenage star will not be involved in the first grand-slam tournament of 2023. Alcaraz enthralled the New York crowd in September by winning his first major title at the US Open, which in the process saw him become the youngest men’s world No 1 since the ATP rankings were established in 1973.
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While Alcaraz went on to secure the year-end No 1 ranking, his season finished on a disappointing note when he pulled out of the ATP Finals because of an abdominal injury. This had forced him to retire from his last match of 2022, against Denmark’s Holger Rune in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.
No doubt this is a considerable boost for Novak Djokovic, who was already considered the heavy favourite to win a 10th Australian Open title. Not only does this remove an obstacle from his path but it will also mean he is bumped up to No 4 in the seedings, avoiding Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas until the semi-finals at the earliest.
On the women’s side of the tournament, Venus Williams has been forced to withdraw after suffering an injury in a warm-up tournament in New Zealand.
The seven-times singles grand-slam winner was originally awarded a wild card but picked up an injury at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
“Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to an injury sustained at the ASB Classic in New Zealand,” the Australian Open said in a tweet.
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The 42-year-old’s wild card place has now been awarded to Australian world No 173 Kim Birrell.
