Alcaraz withdraws from Rotterdam after Australian Open triumph

Rotterdam, Feb 3: Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, the tournament announced. The Spaniard, who won the ATP 500 indoor hard-court title last season, will not return to defend his crown at the event scheduled to be held from February 9 to 16, as per the ATP website.
Despite Alcaraz’s absence, the Rotterdam field will feature several top players, including world No. 2 Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alex de Minaur.
The withdrawal comes a day after Alcaraz achieved a historic milestone by becoming the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam. The 22-year-old defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets in the Australian Open final on Sunday to clinch his maiden title in Melbourne.
On Monday, Alcaraz also took part in a celebratory photoshoot at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Currently ranked world No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz has now amassed 15 Big Titles in his career, a tally that includes Grand Slam championships, trophies at the Nitto ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 events, and an Olympic singles gold medal.