Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of his home tournament at the Madrid Open due to a right leg injury.
Alcaraz told a press conference in Madrid on Thursday that he has been forced to withdraw, as he also revealed that he has been struggling with a left hamstring issue.
The Spaniard required treatment on his right groin during his Barcelona Open final defeat to Holger Rune last weekend and subsequently underwent MRI tests.
Those tests have since revealed a problem with his right leg abductor, which has forced the four-time grand slam champion to withdraw from the ATP 1000 event.
"I couldn't practice the entire week and found out I had hamstring and groin injuries. I needed to listen to my body and make the right decision,” Alcaraz said.
"On Monday I'll have more medical tests and after that we will have a better idea on how long I'll be out.
"It hurts me not to be able to play here in Madrid in front of my people, my friends and my family."
Alcaraz won the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this month before continuing his winning streak at the Barcelona Open to reach the final against Rune.
But the 21-year-old experienced discomfort during the 7-6 6-2 defeat and has decided against attempting to win a third Madrid title, following victories on the clay in 2022 and 2023.
Alcaraz’s injury also comes ahead of his first defence of the French Open title at Roland Garros, which gets underway in Paris from May 25. Alcaraz was also scheduled to appear at the Rome Masters, due to be played from May 7.
"I expect to go back to court and start practising in a couple of weeks. Rome is still a possibility, but for sure I'll be in Paris," Alcaraz added.
"It's not an easy decision because Madrid is the first tournament I have ever been to as a young kid, it's the most special place for me to play.
"But (prioritising Roland Garros) was a big part of my decision to stop and recover properly.”
Alcaraz was seeded second in Madrid, behind Alexander Zverev, and was drawn in the same half as Novak Djokovic. After a first-round bye, he was scheduled to play his opening match on Friday.
Of the men’s top 20, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are now the only players who will not take part in the Madrid Open. Sinner, the world No 1, is scheduled to play in Rome after serving his three-month doping suspension.
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