With Wimbledon five days away, two big names have pulled out of two important events; one explained why, the other didn’t. Taylor Fritz has pulled out of the Eastbourne Open, where he is a record four-time champion. His decision comes as a surprise because he was ready to play. Fritz explained himself on X. 

“I waited until after the match warm-up to make the decision today because I really did want to play. This is never an easy decision for me, especially when it involves a tournament that means so much to me.

“Eastbourne has given me some of my favorite memories on court, and the support I’ve received from the fans over the years has been incredible. That’s what makes this so difficult, but with Wimbledon just around the corner, I have to make the decision that gives me the best chance of being 100% and ready to compete at my best.” 

The 28-year-old’s decision makes sense in context. Chronic knee tendonitis has haunted him since the first week of the 2026 edition of the United Cup, where he went 1-3. The pain followed him in the Australian Open, where he made a Round of 16 exit against Lorenzo Musetti, and his condition worsened. Compounded injuries made him struggle in Dallas (runner-up at the Nexo Dallas Open), Indian Wells, and Miami. 

He then withdrew from Monte Carlo, Munich, Madrid, and Rome, skipping almost the entire clay swing. The American returned at the Gonet Geneva Open in May, carrying a 12-8 record for the season and having not played since Miami in late March. Because of a lack of clay-court preparation, Fritz lost in the first round 4-6, 6-4 against Alexei Popyrin and entered the French Open low on confidence. What followed was not a complete shock, but still a bizarre result considering the quality of the current world No. 7. Fritz lost in the first round 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 against American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy in four sets. 

The break he took after Miami and the early exit at the French Open paid off in the grass season. He advanced to the final in Stuttgart, where he lost to Ben Shelton. He reached the final in Halle the following week after getting his revenge against Shelton in the quarterfinals and beating top seed Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. But he fell to Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-4. Back-to-back finals in two weeks after two months off. The knee appeared to be holding. The Eastbourne withdrawal raises a question: has that run taken something out of him? 

Fritz now has a 19-12 record (12-8 on hard courts, 7-2 on grass, and 0-2 on clay) for 2026, masking a season of injury, absence, and now withdrawal from his signature event. He reached Wimbledon’s semifinal last year, making this injury-plagued season all the more concerning.

Djokovic’s cryptic withdrawal signals fitness questions

Unlike Fritz, Djokovic gave no notice before pulling out of an exhibition match against Karen Khachanov at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in London. Martin Damm Jr. has been announced as Djokovic’s replacement, with no statement from Djokovic’s camp on the reasons for the change. 

The context matters. Djokovic has played just three tournaments since a strong run at the Australian Open—a 40% reduction from his 2025 pace—where he beat Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semis before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. He reached the round of sixteen in Indian Wells, lost in the first round in Rome, and went out in the third round at Roland Garros to Joao Fonseca after winning the opening two sets, visibly unable to sustain the effort in the fifth.  

The exhibition withdrawal complicates matters further, but there’s one consolation factor. Journalist Ben Rothenberg reported footage of Djokovic training on London grass on the morning of his withdrawal, suggesting he is fit enough to be on court. It’s not uncommon for a player at his level to skip an exhibition match—which offers no ranking points—to manage load before a Grand Slam. However, the lack of any explanation, plus his limited match practice this season, means the alarm won’t be silenced soon. 

Last year at Wimbledon, Djokovic reached the semis before a slip in his match against Flavio Cobolli left him too weakened to compete properly against Sinner, who dominated him. He is a seven-time champion at the All England Club and, on the surface where his game still functions at its most efficient, a genuine contender if the body cooperates. That remains his fundamental problem this season. What happens in the draw will depend on which version shows up.