World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Italian Open as he continues to recover from an arm injury, the two-time Grand Slam champion said Friday.
Having successfully defended his Indian Wells title in March and reaching the Miami Open quarterfinals, Alcaraz injured his right forearm during a practice session in Monaco and he continues to struggle with the problem that has derailed the start of his clay-court season.
The 20-year-old Spaniard's bid to become the first player to win three straight Madrid Open titles also failed as he suffered a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
"I felt some pain after playing in Madrid, some discomfort in my arm," Alcaraz posted on social media platform X. "Today I did some tests and I have a muscle edema in my pronator teres, a consequence of my recent injury.
"Unfortunately, I will not be able to play in Rome. I need to rest so I can recover and play 100% pain free. I am very sorry, I will see you next year."
The Italian Open, an ATP Tour Masters 1000 event, runs from May 8-19.