The 2025 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday. This year’s iteration could be one of the best in the tournament’s long history. Carlos Alcaraz will try to win the men’s singles for a third consecutive time, Novak Djokovic could equal Roger Federer’s record of eight titles, whilst French Open champion Coco Gauff has a chance to win her maiden women’s title at SW19. Unfortunately, not every player who qualified will be able to take to the famous courts at the All England Club. Four players have already withdrawn, and now a further five have announced that they will not be competing.
Five More Players Withdraw From 2025 Wimbledon
Which players have withdrawn?
Casper Ruud was the most high-profile player to withdraw from Wimbledon. The two-time French Open runner-up sustained a knee injury during the second round of this year’s tournament in Paris. After initially announcing he could not play at the Mallorca Championships, Ruud realized his knee would not be ready for Wimbledon two days later. The Norwegian’s next scheduled tournament is the Swiss Open in Gstaad.
Arthur Fils was the second player to withdraw from Wimbledon. He could not play his fourth-round at the French Open against Andrey Rublev because of a stress fracture in his back. That injury has not healed in time to be ready for the event in London. Fils reached the fourth round last year and could have been a serious threat to the top-ranked players.
Zhang Zhizhen will also be absent from the grass court Grand Slam. The Chinese star has not played a professional match since the BNP Paribas Open in March because of a shoulder injury. It is unknown when Zhang will likely return to the ATP Tour after so long out.
Emil Ruusuvuori was the fourth player to withdraw from Wimbledon. He has not competed since a Challenger Tour event in Zagreb over a month ago. Ruusuvuori returned in February after being out for mental health reasons. Hopefully, the 26-year-old is okay and has not suffered a setback in his mental health recovery.
Anhelina Kalinina was the sole woman who withdrew. The Ukrainian retired from a WTA 125K tournament in Bari with an injury. That issue means she cannot play at SW19 and attempt to improve on reaching the second round in 2022 and 2023.
Who replaces those players on the entry list?
Ruud’s fellow Scandinavian Elmer Moller takes his place at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old Dane made his first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw at this year’s French Open, losing in the opening round. He now has an opportunity to secure a maiden major win on the iconic grass courts in London. Veteran Fabio Fognini is guaranteed one final appearance at Wimbledon before retirement because of Fils’ decision to withdraw. He played for the final time at the Italian Open in May, being defeated by Jacob Fearnley.
Lloyd Harris replaces Zhang. The 2021 US Open quarterfinalist sits outside the Top 300 after a challenging and injury-affected few years, but his powerful game could do damage on grass. Brandon Holt entered the Wimbledon entry list instead of Ruusuvuori. He sits at a career-high ranking of No. 101 after reaching three Challenger Tour finals in 2025. Aoi Ito is the final player to join the entry list because of Kalinina’s withdrawal. It will be her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw.
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
