Alcaraz out of Italian Open with forearm pain

MADRID, May 3 (AFP): World number three Carlos Alcaraz on Friday withdrew from next week's ATP Italian Open due to ongoing pain in his right forearm, an 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 percent pain free." Alcaraz saw his title defence and 14-match winning streak in Madrid come to an with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat midweek to Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.