Former world number six withdraws from the US Open after having surgery on shoulder

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With the US Open less than a week away from officially starting, excitement is naturally building around New York and beyond.

After all, this event is much more than just the two-week competition itself, with the Americans seeking to squeeze every bit of intrigue they can out of it across a longer period.

The run-up sees so many exciting and interesting events take place, with legends of the past pairing with modern-day superstars, and forgotten faces making their long-awaited returns to the court.

It’s a truly memorable period, and the calm before the storm that is an intense battle for elite silverware begins.

However, for one player, the chance to compete has now been brutally ripped from her grasp.

Marketa Vondrousova injured for US Open

Marketa Vondrousova’s season had already been tough enough as it is, failing to impress on her return to Wimbledon, and having gone the entire year without even reaching a final.

Much was expected after she shockingly claimed the crown last year in SW19, but her inability to capitalise had many questioning her credentials.

Well, after this latest update, perhaps there was a more sinister underlying reason for her underperformance, as she has now taken to Instagram to reveal she has undergone shoulder surgery.

Alongside a picture of her sitting in a hospital bed was the following message: ‘Hey guys. I’ve been struggling with shoulder pain for a few months now and there was no other option but to go for surgery. everything went well and I’ll start rehab soon.

‘See you back on the court happy and healthy.’

This is the third major surgery of her career so far, and comes after Vondrousova missed the Olympics through injury too.

Marketa Vondrousova’s tough 2024 continues

Although she may have reached the quarter-finals of Roland Garros, it has been a really poor year all around for the 25-year-old, who last season catapulted herself to stardom with her Wimbledon triumph.

Becoming the first unseeded woman to ever win the event, Vondrousova was always going to enjoy a mammoth rankings boost, and throughout 2024, she has seldom gone a competition without being appropriately seeded.

However, her failure to capitalise on that newfound position, and a career-high ranking of sixth in the world, has been shown by her steady regression back to where she once was.

Now, the Czech Republic star is 18th, and only set to fall further given her absence at the US Open.

Already she has exited in the first round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and will go one step further by not even entering the event in New York.

This caps off what has been a really underwhelming season for Vondrousova, where she had finally been handed the platform to really excel after her Wimbledon title. It’s such a shame, but fortunately time is on her side once she returns to full fitness.