Alcaraz withdraws from the Rotterdam tournament, expected to return at the Doha event

On the evening of February 2nd Beijing time, the ATP 500 Rotterdam tournament officially confirmed Alcaraz's absence from this edition. The event will take place from February 9th to 15th, and the world’s top-ranked player is the defending champion. Last year, Alcaraz won his first indoor title after beating de Minaur in the final.

Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in four sets at the Australian Open final to win his first Australian Open title, becoming the youngest player ever to complete a career Grand Slam. This marks his seventh Grand Slam victory overall. Despite Alcaraz’s absence, the Rotterdam field remains strong this year, featuring four top-ten players: Zverev, de Minaur, Auger-Aliassime, and Rublev. British No.1 Draper will also compete, making his comeback debut this weekend in the Davis Cup. Additionally, top 20 players Medvedev and Khachanov will participate.

According to the schedule, Alcaraz’s next tournament will be the ATP 500 event in Doha starting in mid-February. The Spaniard is expected to make his first appearance since winning the Australian Open at this competition.

(Text and editing by Wang Fei, images courtesy of Visual China)