World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz will also miss the Australian Open because of a leg injury as he hopes to come back stronger.
The 19-year-old Spaniard, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, revealed he suffered a muscle injury in his right leg during pre-season training.
Writing on social media Alcaraz said: “It’s time to deal with another blow. When I was at my best in pre-season, 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 Australia Open. It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. See you in 2024 @australianopen.”
Alcaraz was one of the standout stars of 2022, where he rose through the rankings to claim the world No 1 spot – becoming the youngest man ever to take the position. The teenage sensation won five titles last year, including his first Grand Slam at the US Open, and was looking to get 2023 off to a flying start in Melbourne.
Alcaraz is not the only star that will not feature at the competition, after news broke earlier this week that Emma Raducanu is also potentially set to spend some time on the sidelines. She was forced to withdraw from her ASB Classic match against Viktoria Kuzmova earlier this week after slipping on the court but has still flown to Australia despite her tournament being in doubt.
