ATP Tour

Ruud, Cilic withdraw from US Open

Casper Ruud, the 19th seed and 2022 finalist, has withdrawn from the US Open.

The former No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will miss the season’s final major for the first time since making his professional debut at the tournament in 2017 (in qualifying). He played in the main draw for the first time in 2018.

"Unfortunately, my back hasn’t healed as quickly as we had hoped. We’ve been optimistic that I would recover in time, but my team and I have decided that we need to think long term and give my body the time it needs," Ruud wrote on Instagram. "I’m very sad to announce that I have to withdraw from this year’s US Open singles event. It’s never easy to miss a Grand Slam, but I know this is the right decision."

"I’ll take the time I need to recover properly and come back stronger. Thank you for all the support ❤️"

Earlier in the week, Ruud played mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows with Diana Shnaider. They fell in the quarter-finals.

Ruud owns a 25-16 record this season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He retired during the second set of his opening match at the Cincinnati Open against Christopher O’Connell.

The 14-time ATP Tour titlist made the fourth round at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and fell in the first round at Wimbledon.

Arthur Gea, the recent Los Cabos champion, will replace Ruud in the draw as a lucky loser. The Frenchman will take on Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the first round.

Another former US Open champion, 2014 winner Marin Cilic, also withdrew from the event on Sunday. The former World No. 3 was scheduled to take on Andrey Rublev in a battle between two big hitters on Monday, but lucky loser Otto Virtanen will now take Cilic's spot in the main draw.

Cilic boasts a 41-14 record at the US Open, having won the title in 2014 and reached the semi-finals the following year. In the fourth round in 2022, Cilic led eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one, but he was unable to close out the win.