Wimbledon 2026 sees record number of player withdrawals

A growing list of top tennis players has withdrawn from Wimbledon 2026, creating the largest absence of stars in recent history. Nine men are already out of the main draw, including Americans Reilly Opelka and Eliot Spizzirri, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, Denmark’s Holger Rune, France’s Arthur Cazaux, Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, American Sebastian Korda and Czech Tomas Machac. Female withdrawals include Americans Hailey Baptiste, Canada’s Victoria Mboko, Britain’s Sonay Kartal and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.

Former British champion John Lloyd warned that the wave of injuries reflects a systemic health crisis driven by a packed calendar and demanding match formats. He said, “It will only get worse unless the schedule is re‑thought, possibly moving the Australian Open to March or shortening Grand Slam matches to best‑of‑two sets.” The withdrawals have sparked calls for reform to protect players and preserve the prestige of the sport.