The final Asian tournament of 2023 on the ATP Tour is set to begin on Monday. There is a very strong entry list for the ATP Tokyo Open. This year’s French Open runner-up Casper Ruud is one of the players to feature, alongside 2020 US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev. However, there have also been three withdrawals from the event. This article lists the players who will be absent and their three replacements in the draw. We at LWOT also have an article listing the seven players to withdraw from the European Open, which also begins on Monday.
Three Players Withdraw from the ATP Tokyo Open
Which Players Have Withdrawn?
Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray has withdrawn from the ATP Tokyo Open. This is due to an injury that the 36-year-old sustained during the Asian swing. Fortunately, it is not believed to be a serious injury problem. Murray is currently scheduled to play in Vienna the following week and he hopes to return to play there.
Canada’s Milos Raonic was the second player to withdraw from the ATP Tokyo Open. The 2016 Wimbledon finalist’s only appearance since the US Open was in a doubles match at the Laver Cup. Raonic has not confirmed the reason for his recent absence from the ATP Tour, although the Canadian has spoken this year about the possibility of retiring in the near future. It is possible his body is still struggling to recover from his efforts during the North American hard court season.
Kei Nishikori is the other player to withdraw from the ATP Tokyo Open. The 2014 US Open finalist has not played since July at the Atlanta Open due to a knee injury. It is especially sad to see Nishikori struggling again. He returned in June after nearly two years out due to his troublesome knee. But that problem returned again in Atlanta and he has been absent ever since.
Who Replaces Those Three Players in the Draw?
Sebastian Ofner benefits from Murray’s decision to withdraw from the ATP Tokyo Open. The Austrian broke into the top 50 earlier this month for the first time. This happened after a run to the semifinal at the Astana Open. It has been the best season of Ofner’s career so far and will hope to add to that at the ATP 500 event.
Aslan Karatsev is on the entry list for Tokyo after Raonic elected to withdraw. The 30-year-old was knocked out in the first round of the Shanghai Masters. However, he had a run to the semifinal at the Zhuhai Championships in his previous tournament. Karatsev is somewhat mercurial and his level often fluctuates. It will be interesting to see how he plays in Japan.
Zhizhen Zhang is set to feature in the Japanese capital due to Nishikori’s decision to withdraw. Zhang played very well at his home Masters tournament in Shanghai; reaching the round of 16. His powerful hitting is likely to suit the conditions in Japan and he could be a very dangerous challenge for anyone in the draw.
Main photo credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
