Fan expectations took a hit after Rafael Nadal’s exit from the Monte Carlo Masters was confirmed. After the tennis legend announced his exit because of issues with his serve amid recovery from his back injury, another shocking update came from the glorious courts of Monte Carlo.

Carlos Alcaraz, the tennis star who was carrying the baton of expectations after Rafa’s exit, announced that he will also be skipping the tournament. This came out after the tennis star was facing issues in hitting forehands during his practice sessions on the courts of Monte Carlo.

“I have been working in Monte Carlo and trying to recover until the last minute from an injured pronator teres in my right arm, but it was not possible and I cannot play!  I was really looking forward to playing… See you next year! @ROLEXMCMASTERS @atptour,” he wrote, confirming his withdrawal from the tournament.

The Spaniard may have come forward with the confirmation just recently but there already were speculations about the happening. While recent reports suggested that the tennis star was seen struggling with his forehand along with covering it with a bandage, it was just this moment that the fans were afraid to face.

With this announcement, Alcaraz not only takes an exit from the Masters 1000 tournament but also happens to take the expectations of the Spaniard fans along with him. Looking back to his performance in the previous Masters event that he took part in, the tennis star stunned everyone with a massive run, finally ending up lifting the glorious Indian Wells trophy. This adds more weight to the “Monte Carlo Curse” theory that the fans believe in.

The Monte Carlo curse disappoints Carlos Alcaraz again

This isn’t the first time when Carlos Alcaraz had to struggle for his participation at the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo. Looking back to the year 2022, the tennis star faced a round 1 defeat against Sebastian Korda, walking out of the tournament without event winning a single match.

Preparing with high hopes for the following year 2023, he had to withdraw as a precautionary measure. While he was scheduled to play his inaugural match against Felix Auger Aliassime, the quick announcement marked another end to his Monte Carlo dreams.

While everyone had huge expectations from him because of the recent dominant performance in Indian Wells, the withdrawal announcement once again would surely have shattered their dreams. Now that he is out of the tournament, it still remains to be seen if he makes a full recovery and makes a comeback in Barcelona.

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