Top five players who will be absent from Wimbledon 2025

Two top-20 ranked players have opted out a week before Wimbledon 2025.

Wimbledon is the most prestigious tennis tournament, and featuring in it is a matter of pride for every tennis player. However, adapting and thriving on grass is a skill not mastered by everyone, as only a complete player possessing every skill can survive against the best on this surface.

Often, players who do not have a good record on grass and those suffering from minor or manageable injuries skip the tournament to get fit for the hard-court swing. Here we take a look at the top five players who will be absent from the marquee event.

5. Sebastian Korda

Sebastian Korda, the rising American star, has been ruled out of Wimbledon 2025 due to a leg injury that has plagued his season. Persistent physical setbacks have hampered his rhythm, particularly during the crucial grass-court stretch. His best result this year came in doubles at Indian Wells, where he finished runner-up. In his absence, the powerful 6’7” Chris Eubanks steps in as his replacement.

4. Kei Nishikori

Former US Open champion Kei Nishikori will miss his first Grand Slam major after the French Open. The Japanese is a two-time quarter-finalist at SW19, and 2025 could have been his final appearance at the Championship. His long absence from the sport has raised questions about his future in tennis.

A week prior, Nishikori pulled out of the Geneva Open’s second round due to back pain. This injury could have aggravated, forcing the Japanese to opt out of Paris, and later the complete grass season.

He has remained in the media spotlight for off-court reasons, recently making headlines after being found guilty of cheating on his wife, whom he married in 2020 and shares two children with, amid allegations of an affair with a model. Home favorite Billy Harris took Nishikori’s place in the main draw.

3. Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios announced his decision to miss Wimbledon a couple of weeks back, extending a disappointing run of injury setbacks. The Australian has managed to play just three events this season, failing to notch more than two wins in any of them. Skipping the French Open 2025 in hopes of returning for the grass season—his preferred surface—Kyrgios had set his sights on London.

However, his continued absence underscores the seriousness of his injury. While there’s no doubt he’s done all he can to return, the setback is a sobering reminder of the uphill battle he faces to regain full fitness. America’s Ethan Quinn replaced Kyrgios.

2. Arthur Fils

Promising talent Arthur Fils had to withdraw from his third-round match of Roland Garros against Rublev due to a back stress fracture. In the earlier round, the Frenchman played one of the best matches of his life against Arthur Fils in a thrilling five-set contest. Since then, Fils has been absent from tennis action, and recovery from that fracture is set to take a while.

The World No. 16 is set to drop out of the top 20 rankings, having saved plenty of points at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round in 2024, and hence, his vibrant and aggressive brand of tennis will be missed at the Grand Slam major. Italy’s Fabio Fognini replaced him.

1. Casper Ruud

Casper Ruud ended his clay season on a disappointing note, bowing out in the second round to Nuno Borges while seemingly battling injury. The Norwegian, a clay-court specialist, failed to defend key points and has slipped outside the ATP top 15.

He will now skip Wimbledon 2025, where he was beaten by Joris De Loore in the second round last year, and will be replaced by World No. 108 Elmer Møller. Ruud, who has previously criticized grass as a surface—famously quipping that it’s “meant for golf, not tennis” has once again skipped the sport’s most prestigious tournament.

While officially attributed to fitness concerns, his withdrawal, combined with his dismissive stance on grass, raises eyebrows. With minimal ranking points to defend, Ruud is expected to regroup and shift his focus to the upcoming hard-court swing.

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