The Miami Open starts Wednesday, and many big names that were slated to play have withdrawn due to various reasons. Some opted to withdraw due to injury, others because of the Covid-19 restrictions. Indeed, these players will be missed in this grand event that is hosted annually in Miami. Here is the list of the biggest names who have confirmed that they will not be playing in the Miami Open this year:
Roger Federer
Roger Federer announced earlier this month that he will not be playing in the Miami Open. His agent stated that Federer will use this time off to train and get back in shape for the tour. The Swiss played in Doha, where he reached the quarterfinals and lost to the eventual Nikoloz Basilashvili in three sets.
He will be missed, as he is one of the biggest attractions on the tour. Also, he is the last player to win this event in 2019 since last year it was canceled due to the global pandemic.
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal will not be playing due to a back injury that has been bothering him since the Australian Open. Also, he said he will use the time off to prepare himself for the upcoming clay court season. No doubt he will be missed as he is obviously one of the biggest names in tennis.
The Spanish player has not played since losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open quarterfinals earlier this year. He will look to be back fully healthy and fit for the clay court season.
Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is another big name who will be absent from the Miami Open. The Austrian said that he needs time to himself and reset. He admits that he has not been playing well as of late. He lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier in the year. Then, he lost in his second match at the Qatar Open.
Furthermore, he lost in the first round of the Dubai Open in straight sets to Lloyd Harris. Also, he has been bothered by a foot problem for several months. He doesn’t blame the foot problem for his poor performance, but will regroup to start the clay season in top shape.
Nick Kyrgios
The Australian player is another big name who will not participate in the Miami Open this year. Kyrgios has been open and vocal about his general unwillingness to travel outside of Australia throughout the pandemic. No doubt he will be missed as he attracts a lot of fans.
Novak Djokovic
The World No.1 is another big name not playing in this event. He confirmed his absence and will focus his time on his family. Also, with all the Covid-19 restrictions, he does not want to undergo any extreme measures. He remains unbeaten this year by winning all of his nine matches thus far. Indeed this is a big blow for the tournament as the fans want to see the World No.1 in action. Unfortunately, they will have to wait until next year to see the Serbian play in the Miami Open.
Other Big Names Not Playing
In addition to these big names, Gaël Monfils, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Borna Coric, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Corentin Moutet, Pablo Carreño Busta, Kyle Edmund, and Marco Cecchinato will also not be competing. On the WTA side, Kim Clijsters withdrew from the tournament and will not participate this year.
Rising Stars Can Finally Shine
Without the big names that will not be playing this year, the opportunity has opened up for the young rising stars. Players like Daniil Medvedev, Denis Shapovalov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger Aliassime, and Andrey Rublev can take full advantage of this in the ATP. No doubt these big names will be missed, but the opportunity for the next generation of young stars have an opportunity to win a big event and make a name for themselves.
Main Photo from Getty.
