Carlos Alcaraz has announced that he has withdrawn from the Monte-Carlo Masters tournament this week due to an arm injury.
The first round of the tournament got under way on Sunday and Alcaraz was due to begin his campaign in the second round against No. 35 rank Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday.
However, the two-time Grand Slam champion was forced to pull out the day before his opener, citing a problem with his right arm.
The current Wimbledon holder announced the news on social media on Tuesday.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “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!
“I was really looking forward to playing. See you next year!”
Lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego will replace the 20-year-old and face Auger-Aliassime for a spot in the third round after the Canadian beat Luca Nardi 6-2 6-3 in his opener on Monday.
The world No. 3 raised fears over an injury when he wore a strapping on his right arm in a practice session with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero ahead of the tournament in France.
It was reported that Alcaraz looked in discomfort while preparing for his first match, where he utilised plenty of slice shots instead of forehands in a bid to keep the intensity to a minimum.
Speaking to Eurosport on Sunday, Alcaraz explained: “Right now, I don’t feel pain on the ankle, I am moving normally. It’s something that I have to trust, and let’s see. But it’s gonna be difficult probably.”
The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from his first-round match against Thiago Monteiro at the Rio Open in February due to his ankle, and returned to the court to claim back-to-back Indian Wells titles in March.
Alcaraz arrived in southern France hoping to bounce back from a disappointing quarter-final defeat to Grigor Dimitrov at the Miami Open.