The same problem that once forced Tereza Valentová to spend three months away from tennis appears to be haunting her again. And the timing is brutal. Just hours before her US Open clash with Anastasia Potapova, there is a twist no one wanted, and Valentová is the one paying for it.

“Valentová has withdrawn from the US Open… She’ll be replaced by lucky loser Semenistaja,” reported Tennisform.

Tereza Valentová has withdrawn from the US Open after her hip problem resurfaced. The Czech teenager was due to face 24th seed Anastasia Potapova on Tuesday at Flushing Meadows, but the setback ended her run just days after she reached the Philadelphia final.

Against Katie Volynets in the Philadelphia final, Valentová’s physical trouble surfaced early in the second set when she left the court for a medical timeout. She returned to finish the match but eventually lost 6-3, 7-5, turning an impressive week into another injury concern.

That setback has now completely changed the US Open draw.

With Valentová out, Darja Semenistaja has been handed an unexpected place in the main draw. The Latvian had already lost in qualifying and appeared to be heading home, but she is now back in the tournament as a lucky loser.

When a player pulls out this late, a qualifying loser can be promoted into the main draw.

That is exactly what happened for Semenistaja, who now gets a second life at the US Open, only to be handed a tough opening-round clash on Tuesday.

Semenistaja’s second chance could hardly be tougher. She now gets Potapova, ranked No. 25 compared with her No. 109 spot, after already losing 6-4, 6-1 to Storm Sanders in the final round of qualifying.

With just two wins in her previous 10 matches, the Latvian is back in the tournament, but still walking straight into a mismatch on paper.

And, Valentová is hardly the only one missing New York. The 2026 US Open has already lost several notable names before they could even get going.

Tereza Valentová Joins Growing List of US Open Absentees

The 2026 US Open is missing several notable women, with injuries taking a heavy toll on the draw. Victoria Mboko is the highest-ranked absentee after suffering a knee injury in a fall, which also forced the Canadian to miss Wimbledon and the Canadian Open this summer.

Emma Raducanu is another major name out, with a stress fracture keeping her sidelined. The British star also missed Wimbledon, making her absence in New York even more noticeable given that she won the 2021 US Open without dropping a set.

Hailey Baptiste will miss the tournament after tearing her ACL at Roland-Garros, where she retired during the first set of her second-round match.

Jaqueline Cristian is also out after undergoing surgery on her right knee. The Romanian has not played since Wimbledon as she continues her recovery.

Elsewhere, Ajla Tomljanovic has ended her season early after dealing with multiple injuries and has not competed since her first-round Wimbledon loss.

Laura Siegemund is taking a break after Wimbledon to recover mentally and physically, while Jil Teichmann and Varvara Gracheva are also absent as they work their way back from injury.