The Australian Open 2024 main draw is now only a few days away from beginning. The first Grand Slam of the year is generating a lot of enthusiasm. Top players on the men’s and women’s entrance lists include both the winner of the French Open in 2023, Iga Swiatek, and Novak Djokovic, who won the title the previous year. Nevertheless, other athletes have also withdrew from the Australian Open. The three ATP and one WTA player who withdrew are listed in this article along with their four draw replacements.
From the Australian Open, Four Players Withdrew
Which Participants Have Left?
The first player out of the Australian Open is Rafael Nadal. After almost a year recovering from a hip injury he sustained in the Australian Open the previous year, the 22-time Grand Slam champion made his comeback in Brisbane. Regretfully, Nadal suffered another injury in the same spot during last week’s quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson. With any luck, the injury won’t be too severe and he’ll be back to his best before the clay court season begins.
The second player to pull out of the Australian Open is Reilly Opelka. The large-serving American is another individual with a history of chronic injury problems. His bid at a return has already been derailed because he failed to complete all four Grand Slams in 2018. Opelka suffered from a hip injury for a considerable amount of time, but it appears to be healed today. He did, however, suffer a wrist injury, and he is still not prepared to play professional tennis.
Another player to pull out of the Australian Open is Dominic Stricker. The Swiss said that his decision was made due to a back problem, but he pledged to return even stronger after his recovery. With a victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up at the 2023 Australian Open, Stricker advanced to the fourth round of the US Open last year, and he hopes to repeat that success.
The female athlete to withdraw from the Australian Open is Lauren Davis. This is because of a persistent shoulder problem that she attributed to the Tour’s frequent ball changes. Although Davis made it to the second round in Melbourne the previous year, he won’t get another chance to do so until 2024.
Who Replaces Those Four Players in the Draw?
Nadal is replaced at the Australian Open by Quentin Halys. The Frenchman is hoping to do better at the Grand Slam than he did last time. In the Melbourne main draw, he has only triumphed once, and that was during his debut in 2016. At Wimbledon last year, he did make it to his first-ever Grand Slam third round, though.
Dominic Thiem gains from Opelka’s absence. He finished second in the 2020 Australian Open after losing to Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set match. Naturally, Thiem went on to win the US Open that year, but in the last eighteen months, he has had difficulty. Melbourne is where the Austrian hopes to get some inspiration.
Following Stricker’s withdrawal, Yosuke Watanuki is scheduled to play in the Australian Open. In Melbourne last year, Watanuki made his Grand Slam main draw debut. After defeating Arthur Rinderknech to get to the second round, he was defeated in straight sets by Sebastian Korda, the runner-up at the 2023 Astana Open.
At last, Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, will take Davis’ position at the Australian Open. After missing almost nine months due to injury, the 21-year-old returned at the ASB Classic in Auckland. She made an impression in Auckland, defeating eventual runner-up Elina Svitolina in a close encounter after winning her first round match. At the first Slam of the year, the Brit will now have the opportunity to capitalize on that momentum.
