Alcaraz withdraws from ATP Italian Open with arm injury

World No 3 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday withdrew from next week's ATP Italian Open due to a right forearm injury that sidelined him in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

The blow comes weeks away from the second Grand Slam of the season, the French Open.

"I felt some pain after playing in Madrid (he lost on Wednesday), some discomfort in my arm," the Spaniard wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to play in Rome. I need to rest so I can recover and play 100 per cent pain free."

On Wednesday, Alcaraz saw his title defence and 14-match winning streak in Madrid come to an with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.

The French Open, the sole Grand Slam on clay, gets underway on May 26. Alcaraz reached last year's semifinals.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who won the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon last year, turns 21 on Sunday.