Aug 4, 2026; Montreal, QC, Canada; Marin Cilic (CRO) returns the ball to Frances Tiafoe (USA) in second round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
A pair of notable names on the men’s side of the bracket at the 2026 US Open, Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud, withdrew shortly after the tournament began on Sunday due to injuries.
Cilic, who won the US Open 12 years ago, was replaced by lucky loser Otto Virtanen, who will face No. 23 Andrey Rublev on Monday in the opening round. Virtanen had withdrawn from his third-round qualifying match against Grigor Dimitrov due to injury.
The 37-year-old Cilic has encountered his fair share of issues during the hardcourt, North American portion of the schedule. He won just a single match in Montreal before getting bounced early. Now, the former World No. 3 has missed three of the last four US Opens.
Ruud had been dealing with a back injury that he suffered during the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, forcing him to pull out of his match with Christopher O’Connell. The issue was not resolved in time, meaning lucky loser Arthur Gea will meet Juan Manuel Cerundolo in first-round action on Monday.
Ruud, 27, finished second in the US Open to Carlos Alcaraz four years ago. He competed in the mixed doubles tournament last week with Diana Shnaider, advancing to the quarterfinals before being defeated by Rublev and Mirra Andreeva.
“Unfortunately, my back hasn’t healed as quickly as we had hoped,” Ruud said on Instagram. “We’ve been optimistic that I would recover in time, but my team and I have decided that we need to think long-term and give my body the time it needs. I’m very sad to announce that I have to withdraw from this year’s US Open singles event.
“It’s never easy to miss a Grand Slam, but I know this is the right decision. I’ll take the time I need to recover properly and come back stronger.”
Cilic and Ruud join a growing list of veteran names on the men’s side who will miss the Queens-based Grand Slam due to injury, including Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Holger Rune, and Joao Fonseca.
For more on the US Open, visit AMNY.com
