Miami Open hit by withdrawal hours before start of tournament
Another tennis star has pulled out of the Miami Open only a few days after it started, joining the list of over 20 players to withdraw.
The Miami Open got underway this week, with some of the biggest tennis players in the world competing at the Hard Rock stadium.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz headlines the men’s draw, with Aryna Sabalenka on top of the women’s field as the highest ranked player.
However, there are also several top names absent in Miami, with Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu among the highest ranked players to pull out of competing.
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In total, more than 20 players have withdrawn from the competition, and now another top ranked player has confirmed that he won't be playing his first scheduled match.
Just hours before the competition was set to begin, men's world no.5 Lorenzo Musetti announced that the Miami Open comes a step too early for him as he tries to return to fitness.
Confirming the news on social media, he wrote: “Hi everyone, unfortunately I have had to pull out of the Miami Open.
”I love playing here, but just need a bit of time to feel 100% out on the court. Appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you all during the clay season.”
In January, the Italian was forced to retire with a leg injury while leading Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 in the pair’s Australian Open quarter-final clash.
Last week, he returned to the court for the first time since the retirement but was beaten in straight sets in Indian Wells, proving he is not yet ready to return to competition.
Instead, he has made the decision to focus on what could be a crucial period for Musetti as the clay-court season rapidly approaches.
Last season, the 24-year-old enjoy an impressive run of form on clay and therefore has a massive 2250 tanking points to defend between now and the end of the French Open at Roland Garros
In 2025, Musetti reached the final in Monte Carlo ahead of back-to-back semifinals in Madrid and Rome.
At Roland Garros, he made it to the semifinals but was forced to retire against eventual champion Alcaraz.
Ben McCrum