The Australian Open’s return is the season’s first great crescendo, drawing fans eager to see their favorite stars collide at the “Happy Slam.” Yet with tennis stretching across nearly 11 relentless months, injuries remain an unavoidable shadow. That reality struck hard on opening day when former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova withdrew, sending a wave of shock and disappointment through Melbourne Park and beyond.

Vondrousova has pulled out just an hour before her first-round match. The No. 32 seed was scheduled to face Hailey Baptiste on Court 13 at 2 pm.

“I’m really sorry that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues,” Vondrousova posted on Instagram Stories. “After everything I’ve been dealing with, I need to prioritise my health, even though this decision wasn’t easy. Thank you all for your understanding and support.”

This allowed Taylor Townsend to enter the main draw as a lucky loser, who had lost in the third round of qualifying to Australia’s Storm Hunter.

However, Townsend could not make the most of it. Baptiste won the match 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3.

This is not the first time Vondrousova has missed the Australian Open due to injury.

Vondrousova also withdrew last year after picking up an injury in Adelaide a week prior. The 2025 Adelaide International was going to be her first tournament after a six-month break for shoulder surgery. She returned to action at the French Open and gained momentum, winning the WTA 500 in Berlin and reaching the US Open quarter-finals. 

But after losing in the first round of the Brisbane International, she withdrew from the Adelaide WTA event due to shoulder pain, and that same issue has sidelined her in Melbourne.

Last year’s US Open had also ended prematurely for her. She reached the quarterfinals, beating 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina along the way. But she injured her leg during practice for the last-eight match against Aryna Sabalenka and had to pull out.

Earlier in her career, Vondrousova finished runner-up at the 2019 French Open as a teenager. But she then suffered a wrist injury at Wimbledon and had to end her season for surgery. She returned in 2021 and won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. However, wrist problems returned in 2022, requiring another operation. Despite this, she bounced back from her injury setbacks and became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in 2023.

But unfortunately, injury woes continue to follow Vondrousova. Her shoulder problem has forced her out of the AO for the second consecutive year. As she withdrew, the tournament also faced other major absences due to injuries, leaving fans disappointed.

Matteo Berrettini withdraws from the Australian Open due to recurring injury

Before Vondrousova’s last-minute withdrawal, Matteo Berrettini shared his own disappointing news. The Italian was set to face sixth-seeded Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the first round. Berrettini, who posed a genuine threat to his hopes of a deep run at his home grand slam, sidelined himself due to injury.

“I’m really sorry to have to withdraw from the tournament,” Berrettini wrote on X, addressing fans directly. “I have always enjoyed being and playing here and feeling your incredible support. Thank you to the tournament for their fantastic organisation and I hope to see all of you again very soon.” The message reflected his disappointment.

The main reason for Berrettini’s withdrawal was a recurring oblique injury. The problem has troubled him before and resurfaced at the worst possible time. With a best-of-five format at the AO, the Italian felt he could not compete at full capacity.

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Signs of trouble appeared earlier in the week.

On Friday night, Berrettini played one exhibition match at the Red Bull Bassline event. He faced Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer. However, he later retired from other scheduled matches after falling ill.

Jack Draper, Holger Rune, and Arthur Fils have exited before the draw. On the women’s side, Zheng Qinwen, Danielle Collins, Ons Jabeur, and Lois Boisson also pulled out. 

As injuries mount, fans can only hope for quick recoveries as the Australian Open grind continues.