The Australian Open will be missing some big names this year and a former world number one could join the withdrawal list.
Jack Draper has already announced he will miss the Australian Open, with the ongoing arm injury still disrupting the world number 10.
There will also be a former champion missing from Melbourne, with two-time winner Victoria Azarenka confirmed to be absent from the Australian Open.
With less than two weeks until the first Grand Slam of 2026 gets underway, a former world number one may now be at risk of not being fit for the tournament.
Karolina Pliskova withdraws from the Brisbane International
After suffering an ankle injury at the 2024 US Open, former world number one Karolina Pliskova was forced to undergo surgery which kept her out of action for over a year.
Pliskova returned to competition for two WTA 125 tournaments in the latter stages of the 2025 season, and had already confirmed her intention to start her 2026 season in Australia.
This included Pliskova making her Grand Slam return at the Australian Open, but before then she would play her first tournament of the year at the Brisbane International.
There were no signs of this changing after Pliskova appeared in the WTA 500 tournament draw for a first round match against America’s Hailey Baptiste.
However, on the day the match was supposed to take place, Pliskova was announced to have withdrawn from the tournament due to a right lower leg injury.
It is unclear as to how severe this injury is, but it is a concerning sign for the two-time Grand Slam finalist given her recent injury woes.
Pliskova was subsequently replaced by lucky loser Yulia Putintseva, who actually went on to beat Baptiste in straight sets.
Who will be the biggest disappointment at the 2026 Australian Open?
How many players have withdrawn from the Australian Open main draw?
With Pliskova’s Australian Open participation now up in the air, she could become the first player to withdraw from the women’s singles draw.
However, there have already been two withdrawals from the men’s singles main draw, with the aforementioned Draper being one of them.
What does Jack Draper need to change about his career to keep fit?
Like Draper, former top 20 player Arthur Fils struggled with injuries throughout the 2025 season and this still appears to be an issue for the Frenchman.
Fils’ ongoing back injury has now caused him to withdraw from the Australian Open, as he misses his third consecutive Grand Slam tournament.
There have also been some big name withdrawals from Australian Open qualifying, which gets underway in just a week’s time.
Pliskova is not scheduled to play any more tournaments ahead of the Australian Open main draw, which begins on Sunday, January 18.
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