November 18, (THEWILL) — Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Davis Cup finals in Bologna after sustaining a right hamstring injury during Sunday’s ATP Finals defeat to Jannik Sinner. The world number one confirmed the news on social media, stating he has oedema in his right hamstring and cannot compete on medical advice.
Alcaraz suffered the injury late in the first set of his 7-6 (4) 7-5 loss to Sinner in Turin. He took a medical timeout but completed the match, appearing to favour more aggressive play rather than lengthy rallies. The 21-year-old initially downplayed the problem in his post-match press conference and travelled to Italy with the Spanish squad on Monday.
Spain captain David Ferrer now faces a significant challenge, with world number 36 Jaume Munar the highest-ranked singles player available. The decision not to select world number 14 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will attract renewed scrutiny, particularly after last year’s controversial selection of an unfit Rafael Nadal for his final professional appearance, which ended in defeat to the Netherlands.
Alcaraz described the withdrawal in emotional terms, writing he felt “heartbroken” and had been excited to help Spain pursue the trophy. The four-time Grand Slam champion has never won the Davis Cup, and Spain has not lifted the title since 2019. With Italy already missing the withdrawn Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, Spain had been among the favourites.
The severity of the injury remains unclear, though Alcaraz is not scheduled to compete again until the Australian Open begins on 18 January. He is entered for exhibition matches in December against Frances Tiafoe and João Fonseca, plus a January meeting with Sinner in Seoul. At Melbourne Park, Alcaraz will attempt to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
