The U.S. Open 2025 saw a flurry of injuries on Saturday, as three men’s singles players were unable to complete their matches, taking the number of retirements in the men’s draw to seven. Flavio Cobolli, Daniel Altmaier, and Kamil Majchrzak all withdrew during the third round, a day after American Ben Shelton pulled out because of a shoulder issue.
Injury Wave Hits Men’s Singles Draw
The latest retirements come after previous withdrawals in the tournament. Sebastian Korda and Shang Juncheng had retired in their respective first-round matches, while fifth seed Jack Draper withdrew before his second-round scheduled match. The recent sequence of retirements has raised some questions over the physical strain of the hard-court Grand Slam.
On the women’s side, there have also been two retirements so far: Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in the opening round and Eva Lys in the second.
Cobolli’s Painful Exit
Flavio Cobolli, who had been having a good spell in New York, confessed he was at his limit heading into his third-round encounter against fellow countryman Lorenzo Musetti. After intense five-set affairs in the previous rounds, Cobolli also suffered physically and was bogged down by right-arm pain.
I knew at the start of the match that I was at my maximum, and I played many hours in those couple of days and I didn’t recover the way I wanted,” Cobolli revealed when he retired. “I think it’s going to be worse if I kept playing in that match.
Although Cobolli assured that the injury was nothing too serious, he admitted he couldn’t play properly because it was uncomfortable. Musetti, who made his way through as a result, called it a “bitter end,” wishing his countryman all the best in his recovery.
Djokovic Battles Through Back Problem
The flood of retirements followed mere hours after Novak Djokovic, struggling with his own back problems, persevered to beat Britain’s Cam Norrie on Friday evening. Djokovic, 38, was the oldest man since Jimmy Connors in 1991 to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open, highlighting both the difficulty and determination needed at the top level.
The U.S. Open is not the only event to have had players falling victim to injury. Wimbledon in the spring saw five retirements in the men’s division, while the French Open saw six retirements and two walkovers. Nine retirements were witnessed at the Australian Open back in January, indicative of a larger trend of players facing greater physical stress.
With seven men already having had to withdraw, the U.S. Open 2025 has once again brought into focus just how hard Grand Slam tennis is, particularly during increasingly packed schedules. Organizers and players might be pushed to rethink recovery windows as the sport continues to test the boundaries of endurance.
