Injury record of Carlos Alcaraz put under microscope after latest blow with Rome withdrawal

Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from the Rome Open due to a right forearm injury, adding to the long list of injuries that have forced the Spaniard to withdraw from tournaments over the past three years.

The world No. 3 pulls out of a clay swing tournament for the third time in 2024 after missing the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open due to the same injury. The 20-year-old tennis player has consistently had to abandon tournaments due to injuries, totaling 11 injuries suffered since August 2021.

Long history of Alcaraz's injuries

Back in 2021, Alcaraz was one of the ATP Tour's great prospects with several interesting results during the season. At the 2021 US Open, he achieved his best performance in a Grand Slam by reaching the quarterfinals, including a victory over world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas along the way. However, in the quarterfinals, he couldn't finish the match against Felix Auger-Aliassime and withdrew for the first time from a match due to an abdominal tear.

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A year later, in 2022, Alcaraz, now as world No. 1, practically did not play in the year-end and decided to skip the ATP Finals, again due to an abdominal tear.

The beginning of 2023 was even more complex as a leg muscle pain forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open, and a month later, in his return to the South American Golden Swing, he suffered a grade one hamstring strain while playing the final of the Rio Open, which ended in defeat against Cameron Norrie.

Carlos Alcaraz had the worst possible debut at the 2024 Rio Open after twisting his ankle just as the first round against Thiago Monteiro began.

That same year, Alcaraz withdrew from Acapulco due to the hamstring strain recovery, later also having issues with spinal muscles and hand problems that led to his withdrawal from the Monte-Carlo Masters. Lower back and foot issues were the cause of his absence from the Basel Open in October 2023.

In early 2024, he already had problems at the Rio Open, as he retired at the start of his first match due to an ankle injury. Now, during the clay swing, the forearm pain has prevented him from participating in three tournaments: the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open, and now the Rome Open. It remains to be seen if Alcaraz will be in full form for the upcoming French Open at the end of May.

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