MONTE CARLO – World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Monte Carlo Masters because of an injury to his right forearm, he announced on April 9 on social media.
“I have been working in Monte Carlo and trying to recover until the last minute from an injured pronator teres in my right arm, but it was not possible and I cannot play,” he wrote on X.
The 20-year-old Spaniard, whose last match was the straight-set defeat by Grigor Dimitrov in the Miami quarter-finals in March, was due to go straight into the second-round tie in Monte Carlo against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime on April 10.
He will be replaced in the draw by Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who was drafted in as a lucky loser, the ATP announced.
“I was really looking forward to playing... See you next year!” concluded former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, who has yet to win a single match at the Monte Carlo Masters.
In 2022, he arrived exhausted after his successful American tour – he reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells and won in Miami – and lost his opener to American Sebastian Korda.
In 2023, he withdrew just before the start of the tournament.
This time, Alcaraz waited until the third day to announce his withdrawal, which seemed inevitable given his recent training sessions, looking weak on April 7 and 8, when he did not play a single rally.
On April 9, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic made easy work of 41st-ranked Russian Roman Safiullin, winning 6-1, 6-2.
Earlier, world No. 11 Alex de Minaur made up for lost time with a 62-minute 6-3, 6-0 win over Stan Wawrinka, in a match that was delayed for 2½ hours because of rain.
On April 8, Auger-Aliassime beat Luca Nardi 6-2, 6-3 in a dominant all-round display to claim only his second win in five appearances in Monte Carlo, the place where he lives and trains.
“It is not the Masters where I have had the most success, even though I train here and live here,” he said.
“But it is a good start to the week. I am really happy with my level, taking control of the match and staying composed and taking care of business.”
In other matches, Miami Open finalist Dimitrov defeated Monegasque wild card Valentin Vacherot 7-5, 6-2 in the first round. The Bulgarian ninth seed will next face Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-1.
“It was a difficult match,” Dimitrov said. “I am glad I kept on going. I know I was far away from my game but I have other things I can do in moments like that.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas also booked his place in the second round after Serbia’s Laslo Djere retired from their tie, trailing 6-3, 3-2.
“I didn’t expect such a finish. This is not something very common when I play,” the Greek 12th seed said.
“I did my job well, and obviously, I’m wishing (Djere) a speedy recovery, because injuries are not fun.”
A two-time Monte Carlo champion, Tsitsipas has not reached a Masters 1000 final since 2022 in Cincinnati.
Russian Karen Khachanov saw off Britain’s Cameron Norrie 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), while 14th-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert fought back to beat Federico Coria 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
AFP, REUTERS
