Milos Raonic Gives Kei Nishikori a Boost at US Open 2019

Despite making an impressive start to the season after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2019, it has been a despairing year for the former Wimbledon finalist, Milos Raonic. The 28-year-old has pulled out of the US Open 2019 due to a glute injury.

The Canadian has endured an injury-hit season and has not played since he retired from the second round of the Montreal Open, earlier this month. He is yet to finish a tournament healthy in 2019.

Raonic was placed on the top half of the US Open 2019 draw and his withdrawal from the event has made the draw a little easy for the Japanese No.1, Kei Nishikori as the two had set up a potential Round of 16 match at the Flushing Meadows.

Also, if Raonic would have pulled out of the tournament before the draws were made, Richard Gasquet could have been seeded but now a lucky loser will come in place of a seeded place, which further opens up the draw.

The 21st seed was scheduled to face Nicolas Jarry in the opening round on Monday. However, according to Tennis Canada, Milos Raonic was recovering from his injury, and “he might have played if he had a Tuesday start.” 

Raonic’s withdrawal from the final Grand Slam of the season gives a chance to the lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak of Poland, who will replace him in the main draw of the event. Majchrzak has been a junior US Open winner in 2013 and has played mostly at the Challenger level. His best result this year came at the Atlanta Open, where he won his first-round match.

It is for the second time in three years that Milos Raonic is forced to withdraw from the U.S. Open. The Canadian has also missed four of the last nine grand slam events due to injury.

Raonic has been limited to only 11 events this season due to back and knee injury troubling him all over the year.

The 28-year-old has a 21-10 win-loss record in the 2019 season, including reaching the last-8 of the Australian Open 2019. Raonic has never reached beyond the fourth round of the US Open, with his best record coming in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018.