One of the 20 best players in the world has withdrawn from tennis’ final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Czech Republic native Marketa Vondrousova, the world tennis No. 18, has withdrawn from the US Open due to a lingering hand injury, reports The Associated Press. On the men’s side, No. 47-ranked Cam Norrie has also withdrawn due to a forearm ailment.
Vondrousova, a 5-foot-8 southpaw with career earnings of $10.4 million, boasts a 276-121 career singles record, and has notched two career titles thus far. The 25-year-old became the first unseeded women’s champion in the history of Wimbledon during the Open era last year. Vondrousova defeated former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia — the No. 6 seed in the event at the time — in the final, 6-4, 6-4.
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As an encore, Vondrousova became the first Wimbledon defending champion to suffer a first round loss in 30 years. In July, she was bested 6-4, 6-2 by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas.
“I was a bit slower, maybe. I was a bit scared,” Vondrousova said immediately after the 2024 Wimbledon loss, per Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press. “But credit to her. She was playing a good match, too. I didn’t feel at my best, (but) she didn’t gave me many points for free.”
Vondrousova has not played in an event since, and now will be out of commission through at least the US Open, which ends on Labor Day Weekend.
In terms of other finishes at major events, Vondrousova was a finalist at the 2019 French Open — the only other Grand Slam final she has made— and claimed a silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic games.
At the US Open, Vondrousova’s best finish was the quarterfinals during the 2023 event. Her best Australian Open finish was a fourth round exit in 2021.
Vondrousova will be replaced by Croatian Petra Martic, the No. 98-ranked player in the world, for the women’s draw. Martic, 33, has won a pair of WTA events and was ranked as high as No. 14 in the world in 2020. Her best finish at a US Open was a pair of fourth round appearances, in 2019 and 2020.
Argentinian Francisco Comesana, the world No. 122, will fill in for Norrie.
Next Thursday, the U.S. Open draw will kick off on Aug. 22, while tournament play is scheduled to commence on Aug. 26.
Last year’s victor, 20-year-old American wunderkind Coco Gauff, will be looking to win her second career major at the event.
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