US Open 2024: Top five tennis stars who will miss season's final Grand Slam ft. Rafael Nadal, Cameron Norrie & more

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from US Open 2024.

The year’s final Grand Slam, the US Open 2024, is slated to begin on August 26 and witness tennis stars from across the globe go head-to-head. It has been a hectic year, especially with so many tennis tournaments taking place one after the other. In one month, several players competed in three events, including the Paris Olympics, the Canadian Open, and the Cincinnati Open.

The defending champion, Novak Djokovic, who won the Olympic gold, will be keen to expand his trophy closet. However, things are very different for the women’s singles defending champion.

Coco Gauff, the reigning champion, has struggled for form over the past few months, including an underwhelming debut at the Olympic Games, followed by back-to-back round-one exits at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.

While most of the top seeds will hope to finish the calendar year on a high, few of the well-known superstars have withdrawn from the 2024 US Open. Let’s take a closer look at some of the notable players who are set to miss this year’s prestigious Grand Slam.

5. Zhu Lin

Zhu Lin made headlines last year, after beating three-time US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka in the second round. However, since then, she has found the going tough, unable to make any significant impact. Her latest stint at Wimbledon ended in the third round at the hands of New Zealand’s qualifier, Lulu Sun.

The Chinese haven’t played any tennis events since the grass-court championship and have pulled out of the 2024 US Open too.

4. Sorana Cirstea

Sorana Cirstea is going through a challenging time, having taken an indefinite break from tennis due to constant injuries. With a current streak of six consecutive defeats, it was evident that the 34-year-old Romanian was facing some physical problem that was restricting her from giving 100%.

The 34-year-old has been battling plantar fasciitis, an injury that has prompted her to reflect on her career. Cirstea’s last appearance was at the 2024 Wimbledon Championship and her recent absence from the international circuit has led to a significant drop in her ranking, falling from 29th to 40th.

3. Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie has withdrawn from the US Open because of a forearm injury, which also prevented him from competing in the Olympics. Since then, the 28-year-old has remained out of action, pulling out of both the Canadian and Cincinnati Open. Before the Olympic Games, Cameron Norrie featured in the Swedish Open wherein he lost to Rafael Nadal in the round of 16.

The Brit’s best performance at a Major this year came at the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championship, where he reached the round of 16 before losing to Alexander Zverev on both occasions.

2. Marketa Vondrousova

Last year’s Wimbledon winner, Marketa Vondrousova’s injury woes continue. After an incredible summer last year, her poor form and injury struggles coincided. The 25-year-old was unable to advance to the semifinals ever since her Wimbledon heroics (except for the Stuttgart Open, in which she lost in the semis).

She suffered a first-round exit at the 2024 Wimbledon championship at the hands of current World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, becoming the first woman since 1994 to lose an opening match at Wimbledon a year after winning the title.

Since then, the Czech has missed all tennis events, including the Paris Olympics, the Canadian Open, and the Cincinnati Open. She hoped to regain fitness to take part in the 2024 US Open but had to ultimately pull out owing to a hand injury.

1. Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal forced an inspiring comeback into the international arena following his absence for more than a year. However, the Spaniard hasn’t been anywhere near his best since his return. Despite facing lower-ranked opponents, he lost the final of the Bastad Open.

He faced a tough draw at the Paris Olympics, facing Novak Djokovic in the second round. Nadal was hammered in the first set but showed glimpses of resilience in the second before bowing out eventually. In the doubles event, he looked sharp alongside Alcaraz, but the duo were knocked out by the experienced American pair of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

Last month, the Spaniard took to his Twitter (now X) account, informing the tennis fraternity about his withdrawal as he felt he wouldn’t be able to give his 100%. Nadal’s next tennis event will be at the Laver Cup in Berlin.

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