The men’s world No 1, Carlos Alcaraz, has announced he will miss the Australian Open because of a leg muscle injury picked up in training.
The 19-year-old, who won his maiden grand slam title at the US Open in September, missed the season-ending ATP finals and Davis Cup finals due to a torn abdominal muscle. Alcaraz had recovered to begin preseason training, but suffered a separate muscle injury in his right leg.
“It’s time to deal with another blow,” the Spaniard wrote on social media. “When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training.
“I’d worked so hard to get to my best level for Australia but unfortunately I won’t be able to play the Care A2+ Kooyong [warm-up event] or the Australian Open. It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. See you in 2024 @australianopen.”
Alcaraz surged to the top of the rankings in a remarkable 2022 season, becoming the youngest man ever to hold the No 1 position after beating Casper Ruud in the US Open final in New York.
His absence means that compatriot Rafael Nadal, the defending champion, is set to be the top seed at the tournament. Last year, Alcaraz was the No 31 seed in Melbourne, losing in the third round to Matteo Berrettini.
Two other likely Australian Open title contenders, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, will meet in the semi-finals of the Adelaide International warm-up event.
Djokovic moved into the last four with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Denis Shapovalov while Medvedev, the beaten finalist in 2021 and 2022, overcame fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-3.
“I’m happy with the way I’m playing, the way I’m feeling on the court. I know that a grand slam is around the corner but I really want to focus my attention here,” Djokovic said after his victory.
“Medvedev, maybe I cannot get tougher than that at the moment. I look forward to it. It’s going to be a great semi-final for sure … The biggest test so far for both me and him. I think this is what we want coming into Melbourne and the Australian Open.”
The other semi-final will feature American Sebastian Korda – who upset the sixth seed, Jannik Sinner, 7-5, 6-1 – and Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, who defeated home hopeful Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (4), 6-7 (8), 6-2.
The top seed in the women’s event, Ons Jabeur battled to a 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk and will face the 18-year-old Czech qualifier Linda Nosková in the last four after she beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6).
The second seed, Aryna Sabalenka, beat Markéta Vondroušová 6-3, 7-5 and next faces Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.
