The Spaniard number 2 in the world Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro, after withdrawing during the first round match against the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (n.117) due to an ankle injury.
Favorite in the most important draw in South America, the 20-year-old tennis player had to stop the match after two games, showing visible signs of suffering with a score of 1-1.
In the ATP rankings Carlos Alcaraz now leads Jannik Sinner by just 535 points and has 1,000 to defend next month, in the hard court tournament in Indian Wells, California.
The withdrawal due to injury in the first round of the Rio Open could cost the Spaniard his place as world number 2 in favor of the Italian, fresh winner in Rotterdam.
Alcaraz suffered a sprained right ankle during the match against the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (n.117).
Finalist last year, he will thus lose another 300 points in the standings.
Not even a bandage allowed him to go beyond the second game.
Alcaraz hasn't won an ATP title since winning at Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic last July.
In Rio the game is played on the clay of the Jockey Club Brasileiro, where rain had delayed the start of the match by three hours.
However, the Spaniard ruled out responsibility for the pitch: "It's not a problem with the pitch, I injured myself when changing direction and this happens on this type of surface", he then explained.
However, his medical staff does not seem worried: "They believe it is not serious" concluded Alcaraz.
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