The season’s final Major, the US Open 2024, is almost upon us, and is set to begin from August 26. Carlos Alcaraz won the last two Majors but has arrived in New York on the heels of an opening-round exit from the Cincinnati Open.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic, who beat the Spaniard to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, will compete for the first time since his historic victory. He’s gunning for his 25th Major crown, as well as his 100th career title.
Coco Gauff, the defending champion on the women’s side, is in a slump. After a successful summer on hardcourts last year, she’s down on her luck this time. She left the Cincinnati Open without a win. While she has made some deep runs, she hasn’t reached a final since winning the title in Auckland in January this year.
While most top players have confirmed their presence at the US Open, a handful of notable names are amiss. Here’s a look at five players who won’t be participating in this year’s US Open:
#5 – Zhu Lin
Zhu upset two-time Major champion and former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka en route to the third round of the US Open last year. 2023 was a breakthrough season for her in many ways.
Aside from her run in New York, Zhu claimed her maiden WTA title, reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, and cracked the top 40 of the WTA rankings. However, the Chinese won’t be making an appearance at the season’s final Major this time due to an injury.
#4 – Sorana Cirstea
Cirstea reached her first quarterfinal at the US Open last year, and it was her first at a Major since advancing to that stage for the first time at the French Open in 2009. She had a couple of good results this year, making the semifinals in Dubai and the fourth round in Miami.
However, Cirstea was unable to play at a high level due to constant pain in her foot. Unfortunately, there was no option left but to treat it surgically in the end. She went under the knife a few weeks ago, and while the operation was successful, she will miss not only the US Open but also the rest of the season. She is planning on making a comeback at the start of next season.
#3 – Cameron Norrie
This has been a rather underwhelming season for Norrie, who has a 17-15 record so far. His best result has been a semifinal finish at the Rio Open, along with a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open.
The Brit announced his decision to pull out of the US Open on Friday, August 16, due to a forearm injury. His best result at the venue was a fourth-round appearance in 2022, and he made the third round last year.
Norrie hadn’t played a match since losing to Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Nordea Open in mid-July. He also missed out on representing his country at the Paris Olympics. While he’s aiming to return soon, he hasn’t given an estimated timeline regarding his comeback.
#2 – Marketa Vondrousova
This has been a rather tough season for Vondrousova, with very few silver linings. A quarterfinal at the French Open, along with a semifinal in Stuttgart, have been her best performances this year.
It all came crashing down at Wimbledon, where the Czech’s title defence concluded in the first round with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. She hadn’t played a match since then, and announced her withdrawal from the US Open on Friday, August 16, due to a hand injury.
Vondrousova reached the quarterfinals in New York last year following her triumph at Wimbledon. She’s no stranger to making comebacks, having spent a considerable amount of time on the sidelines due to various injuries.
#1 – Rafael Nadal
Since he returned to the tour after a year-long injury hiatus this season, Nadal has suffered a few setbacks. He reached the quarterfinals in Brisbane immediately upon his return but picked up another injury, which forced him to miss the Australian Open.
The Spaniard delayed his return to the tour until the clay swing, where a fourth-round finish at the Madrid Open was his best result. He bowed out in the first round of the French Open as Alexander Zverev handed him his earlier exit at the venue.
Nadal then reached his first final of the season at the Nordea Open in Bastad but came up short against Nuno Borges. He left the Paris Olympics without a medal, losing to Djokovic in the second round of singles, and in the quarterfinals of doubles alongside Alcaraz.
Nadal had initially made use of his protected ranking to enter the US Open. However, following the end of his Olympic campaign, he decided to give the tournament a miss.
The Spainard has emerged victorious in New York on four occasions, with his most recent title coming in 2019. He is next expected to compete at the Laver Cup, which will be held from September 20-22.
