While qualifying is currently taking place, the US Open officially commences next Monday in what is the final Grand Slam event of the year. The top seeds in Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek will be looking to defend their respective titles after winning in New York last year. But while there are many big names taking part who will be looking for US Open glory themselves, there are also some notable absentees from Flushing Meadows this year. So with that said, here's a look at some of the major tennis stars who will be missing the US Open.
Rafael Nadal
As most of us know by now, Nadal has not been in action since his second-round exit at the Australian Open back in January. He has since missed the entire clay-court and grass season, having undergone hip surgery in June.
Although there is a chance he could be back before the end of the year — especially with a recovery timeline of five months — it appears more likely that he'll return at the Australian Open next year in what looks set to be his final year on the ATP Tour. If Nadal is to compete at the US Open again, it will likely be in 2024 for the last time.
Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios' injury woes will unfortunately continue as after missing Wimbledon with a wrist injury, he announced earlier this month that he'd be missing the US Open as well. It's been a forgettable 2023 campaign for the last year's US Open quarterfinalist as he's only played one game all season.
Having now missed all four Grand Slams, the mercurial Australian is set to drop out of the ATP top 100. However, he did provide a positive update for his fans recently: “To my millions of fans out there, I guess we just have to be patient. Trust me, I still have some fire left in the tank, my body just needs time to recover and get back. Everything off-court is doing great. l am eyeing to come back and have a season like my last again.”
Marin Cilic
Marin Cilic won the US Open back in 2014, but he won't get a chance to win it a second time as he continues to battle knee issues that have kept him out since January.
Having played just two games all season, the Croatian is now ranked No. 144 and is set to drop even more points after reaching the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows last year. He notably suffered defeat to eventual champion Alcaraz over five sets.
Emma Raducanu
2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu will not get a chance to emulate her past glory as she remains on the road to recovery. The Briton underwent triple surgery earlier this year and although she was back on a tennis court for the first time in a while, there is no official return date as things stand. She is currently ranked No. 186 in the WTA rankings.
Simona Halep
Simona Halep remains provisionally suspended since testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at last year's US Open event where she exited in the first round. The two-time Grand Slam winner maintains she is innocent and is still looking to appeal her suspension having not played a game since.
However, any slim chances she had of taking part in New York have all but vanished after the US Tennis Association announced Halep “was automatically withdrawn” earlier this week. Taylor Townsend would go on to take her spot.
Pablo Carreno Busta
Pablo Carreno Busta has been off the grid for a while as the Spaniard has not been in action since his round of 32 defeat to Richard Gasquet at the Rotterdam Open back in February. Having missed a number of tournaments in the last eight months since, the 32-year-old has dropped down to 124 in the ATP rankings.
He will drop down even further given that he will lose 180 points from not competing at the US Open. Although it's not clear what his exact injury is, all signs point to it being very serious.
Denis Shapovalov
World No. 26 Denis Shapovalov hasn't featured since Wimbledon and will remain on the sidelines due to a knee injury.
“Despite doing everything possible to be 100% healthy in time for @usopen, my knee needs more time and I sadly have to withdraw,” he tweeted earlier this month. “That grand slam energy, especially in NYC, is unlike anything else and I’m really going to miss playing in front of the amazing fans there this year!”
The Canadian reached the third round at Flushing Meadows last year.
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