Casper Ruud Withdraws From US Open

Casper Ruud withdrew from the 2026 US Open due to a persistent back injury, saying his back hadn’t healed quickly enough and that he needed to think long term to recover. The 27-year-old Norwegian, who was seeded 19th and was a 2022 US Open finalist, announced the decision on social media and will skip the singles event, though he had competed in mixed doubles earlier in the week. French lucky loser Arthur Gea replaced Ruud in the main draw and will face Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the first round. Ruud had raised fitness concerns in New York, including a Cincinnati retirement and restricted movement in practice, but had still played the mixed doubles before withdrawing from singles. Gea’s entry marks a late but official replacement into the singles main draw. This withdrawal continues Ruud’s uneven 2026 major results after strong 2022-23 showings, underscoring a challenging season for the former finalist.