No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz out of Australian Open with leg injury

The 19-year-old from Spain wrote on social media that he got hurt ‘through a chance, unnatural movement in training’

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the Australian Open on Friday because of an injured right leg.

The 19-year-old from Spain wrote on social media that he got hurt "through a chance, unnatural movement in training."

The year's first Grand Slam tournament begins on January 16 at Melbourne Park. The draw is next Thursday.

Alcaraz won the U.S. Open last September and moved atop the ATP rankings. That allowed him to become the youngest man to finish a season at No. 1 since the computerized men's tennis rankings began a half-century ago.

His rise from No. 32 at the end of 2021 also marked the largest single-season jump to No. 1.

This is his second significant setback in recent months, though. Alcaraz cut short last season in November after tearing an abdominal muscle while competing at the Paris Masters. That forced him to withdraw from the ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals.

Still, he closed out 2022 with a record of 57-13 and five singles titles.