It promises to be an excellent tournament at the ATP 500 event in Rio. Last year’s Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed at the clay court tournament. However, three players have elected to withdraw from the ATP Rio Open. This article lists those who have withdrawn, and then names their three replacements.
Three Players Withdraw From ATP Rio Open
Which Players Have Withdrawn?
Last year’s French Open quarterfinalist Tomas Martin Etcheverry is the first player to withdraw from the ATP Rio Open. The Argentine injured his right leg during his quarterfinal match in Buenos Aires against Nicolas Jarry and retired from the match in tears. He has not recovered from the issue quick enough to compete in Brazil.
Daniel Altmaier is the second player to withdraw from the ATP Rio Open. The German has lost two first-round matches in a row during the South American clay court swing. These were to Federico Coria and Facundo Diaz Acosta in Cordoba and Buenos Aires. There has been no confirmed injury to Altmaier and he may just want some time to mentally regroup after those defeats.
Marin Cilic is the final player to withdraw from the ATP Rio Open. The 2014 US Open champion played just his third tournament since July in Buenos Aires, where he lost to Laslo Djere in three sets. Cilic clearly struggled physically in the third set of that match, and it seems that his body needs some extra time to recover.
Who Replaces Those Three Players In The Draw?
Hugo Dellien replaces Etcheverry at the ATP Rio Open. He most recently lost in the qualifiers in Buenos Aires but he has been given an opportunity in Brazil. The Bolivian is a clay court specialist and will hope to show his skills on the dirt in the first-round against Cameron Norrie.
Cristian Garin benefits from Altmaier’s decision to withdraw. The former Wimbledon quarterfinalist did not play in Buenos Aires last week after retiring from his match in Cordoba. However, he is back in action and will face Roberto Carballes Baena in the opening round.
Finally, Daniel Elahi Galan replaces Cilic at the ATP Rio Open. The Colombian beat Diego Schwartzman in the first-round in Buenos Aires, before falling to Etcheverry. His first match in Rio will be against Dusan Lajovic.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
