US Open Injury Retirements
NEW YORK – The ongoing US Open has witnessed a troubling trend with players retiring due to various injuries, escalating the count to seven in the men’s singles division alone. On Saturday, Flavio Cobolli, Daniel Altmaier, and Kamil Majchrzak all withdrew during their third-round matches, adding to the list of players forced to exit the tournament. This follows a previous retirement by American player Ben Shelton, who cited a left shoulder injury that hindered his performance.
Notable Withdrawals
In the earlier rounds, both Sebastian Korda and Juncheng Shang were unable to finish their matches, while fifth seed Jack Draper opted to bow out before even stepping onto the court for his second-round match.
Contrasting Performances
The scenario starkly contrasted with that of Novak Djokovic, who overcame his own back issues to secure a victory against Cam Norrie on Friday night. At 38 years old, Djokovic made history as the oldest male player to reach the fourth round of the US Open since the legendary Jimmy Connors, who was also 38 during his 1991 run.
Player Reflections
Reflecting on his retirement, Cobolli expressed feeling discomfort in his right arm when competing against fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. “I realized early on that I had pushed myself to the limit, having played extensively in recent days without adequate recovery time,” Cobolli remarked. He was concerned that continuing would aggravate his condition. Although he noted that the injury wasn’t severe, it was enough to impact his performance, particularly his serve.
Musetti sympathized with Cobolli, suggesting fatigue from his grueling matches earlier in the tournament contributed to his fellow countryman’s inability to proceed.
“It’s unfortunate to end this way. I wish him a speedy recovery,” Musetti expressed, feeling that the circumstances left a sour taste in the competition.
Historical Context
Historically, the US Open has not been immune to retirements; this year, the women’s side has seen two leave the tournament due to injury: Nuria Parrizas Diaz withdrew in the first round, while Eva Lys did so in the second. Interestingly, numbers from previous Grand Slam tournaments this season show retirements due to injury have been significant, with the Australian Open witnessing nine withdrawals, the French Open recording a total of eight retirements (including walkovers), and Wimbledon seeing five players unable to continue.
