MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz will go another year without fulfilling his dream of winning a Davis Cup with Spain.
Top-ranked Alcaraz said Tuesday he was heartbroken to miss the Davis Cup final in Italy due to a hamstring injury. He said the decision was based on the recommendations of doctors.
“It is with great regret that I announce that I will not be able to play for Spain in the Davis Cup in Bologna,” Alcaraz wrote on X. “I have swelling in my right hamstring and the doctor’s recommendation is not to play.”
He was injured during last week’s ATP Finals and was diagnosed with muscle overload and swelling in his right hamstring.
Alcaraz said he was returning home with a “heavy heart.”
“I’ve always said that playing for Spain is the best thing and I’m really looking forward to contributing to the Davis Cup competition.”
Alcaraz made his Davis Cup debut in 2022 and has a record of 6 wins, 2 losses, and 5 wins, 1 loss in singles. Spain’s last victory was in 2019.
He also did not compete in the 2023 Davis Cup due to fitness issues. Last year, Alcaraz and Spain were eliminated in the first round of the Final Eight at home in Malaga, ruining the final match of Rafael Nadal’s storied career.
“I want to win the Davis Cup someday… because for me, this is a really important and important tournament,” said Alcaraz, 22.
He was scheduled to lead Spain on Thursday in Bologna to play the fourth-seeded Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. The Czech Republic has top 20 players Jiri Reheka and Jakub Mensik. They eliminated the United States in the qualifying round in September.
On Sunday, Alcaraz lost to Jannik Sinner 7-6 (4), 7-5 at the ATP Finals, but had already secured the No. 1 spot in the year-end rankings. In 2022, at the age of 19, he became the youngest person in history to reach number one.
This year, he won the French Open and the US Open, taking his total to six Grand Slam titles.
