Casper Ruud withdraws from Wimbledon due to knee injury

Casper Ruud has withdrawn from Wimbledon after failing to recover from a knee injury, extending his absence from the courts. The 26-year-old Norwegian was slated to be the 15th seed, and his withdrawal now opens up a chance for Matteo Berrettini to enter the draw as a seeded player.

The Norwegian experienced a surprising second-round exit at the French Open, where he fell to Nuno Borges 6-2, 4-6, 1-6, 0-6. The three-time Grand Slam finalist stated during Roland Garros that he had been battling knee issues since the Monte-Carlo Masters in early April.

In May, he was entered to play the Geneva Open—the week before Roland Garros—but decided to pull out. Nevertheless, Ruud traveled to Paris for the French Open, and after his early exit, he was expected to return to the courts this week at the Mallorca Open. However, a couple of days ago, he announced his withdrawal from that event.

"I'm back to training and feeling much better, but not well enough to compete at 100% yet. As you know, I was planning to participate in Mallorca, but unfortunately, I have to withdraw. I need to keep training to be ready for Wimbledon. I apologize to everyone in Mallorca; I love Mallorca and hope to return in the future because I was very excited, but I have to listen to my body, and I hope to be back on the courts soon."

However, it was recently announced that he will also not be available for Wimbledon, effectively skipping the entire grass-court swing. The Norwegian's next challenge is now expected to be on the clay courts of the Gstaad Open, the last tournament of the European summer before heading to his hardcourt commitments in North America.

Ruud's withdrawal adds to the previously confirmed absence of Arthur Fils, meaning two seeded players are now out of the tournament. This opens the door for Berrettini to potentially become the 32nd seed, though Alexander Bublik could claim that spot if he wins the Halle Open title this Sunday against Daniil Medvedev.