Withdrawals Rock US Open: Seven Players Forced to Retire Due to Injuries
In an unexpected turn of events, the US Open has witnessed multiple injury withdrawals in the men’s competition. A total of seven players have been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to physical problems, raising concerns among fans and analysts.
On Saturday, three tennis players joined the list of withdrawals: Flavio Cobolli, Daniel Altmaier, and Kamil Majchrzak. These retirements occurred in the third round, increasing the already worrying number of injured players in the tournament. The situation worsens after Ben Shelton’s decision not to continue in the tournament due to a left shoulder injury.
In addition to these names are Sebastian Korda and Juncheng Shang, who withdrew in the first round. Furthermore, Jack Draper, seeded number five, was forced to withdraw before his second-round match.
Hours after Shelton’s retirement, Novak Djokovic managed to overcome a back problem to defeat Cam Norrie on Friday night. With this victory, Djokovic, at 38 years old, became the oldest player to reach the fourth round of the US Open since Jimmy Connors achieved it at the same age in 1991.
Cobolli explained that he felt discomfort in his right arm during his match against Lorenzo Musetti. “I knew that at the beginning of the match I was at the limit, and I played many hours in those few days and I didn’t recover as I wanted,” Cobolli stated. “I think it would have been worse if I had continued in that match.”
Musetti lamented the way the match was decided, calling it a “bitter ending.” “I didn’t want to end like this,” Musetti said. “I wish him a speedy recovery.”
The number of injury withdrawals at this US Open exceeds those recorded at other major tournaments. At Wimbledon, there were five withdrawals in the men’s draw, while at the French Open there were six, plus two walkovers. The Australian Open recorded nine withdrawals. At the US Open, there have also been two withdrawals in the women’s draw: Nuria Parrizas Diaz in the first round and Eva Lys in the second.
