World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will miss Australian Open due to leg injury

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz would miss the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season, after injuring his right foot during training, the Spaniard confirmed on Friday.

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"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. It's tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. We'll see you at the Australian Open in 2024." US Open champion wrote on his Twitter account.

Australian Open will begin in Melbourne on January 16. Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal means defending champion and 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal will be promoted to top seed at the tournament. This would mean he would not be able to face old rival Nadal until the semi-finals at the earliest.

By winning his first Grand Slam tournament at the US Open last September, Carlos Alcaraz became the world's youngest world number one since the creation of the ATP rankings in 1973. He then became the youngest player in history to end the year at the top of the world rankings.

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However, an abdominal injury forced Carlos Alcaraz to retire in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters in November, which in turn forced him to miss the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, won by Djokovic. Moreover, Alcaraz also had to sit out of the Davis Cup finals. Djokovic at the same time will return to the Australian Open after being deported from the country last year.