Recurring back problems have returned to haunt Ugo Humbert right ahead of the US Open. Having first picked up the problem last year in October, the injury has flared up again and has forced the Frenchman to withdraw from the Grand Slam. He made an emotional post on social media, announcing his sudden withdrawal just hours before the tournament’s draw was announced.

“Unfortunately I won’t be able to participate in the US Open this year,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m hurting my back again and I can’t compete for the last Grand Slam of the year.”

With this, Humbert ends his American swing on a dismal note. He managed to win just one match in the three tournaments he played. The sole victory came at the Citi Open, where he defeated Andres Martin 6-2, 7-5, but then suffered a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Ben Shelton in the next round.

This was followed by first-round exits at both the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens. It is expected that the problems with Humbert’s back flared up during these encounters, and those issues became too serious to handle. That is why the Frenchman has made the difficult decision to pull out of Flushing Meadows.

Humbert’s back issue first arose at the Swiss Open last year. He had to withdraw from the semifinal clash against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while trailing 7-6, 3-1 as a result. He then also had to pull out of the Paris Masters, which was scheduled just a few days later. Humbert eventually made his return at the Brisbane International in January 2026.

Having withdrawn from the US Open due to the same problem, Humbert has no tournaments scheduled for September at the moment. He has not been selected by Paul-Henri Mathieu in the team for France’s clash against Canada in the Davis Cup that will begin on September 18.

Humbert can afford to take a little break as the next Masters event will be held in Shanghai from October 7. He will want to regain full fitness by the time the event rolls in. The 28-year-old would also want to improve his form in the tournaments he will play next.

The 2026 season hasn’t been great for him, and he has an underwhelming win-loss record of 25-21. Humbert would want to end the year on a positive note, and he will need better results for that.

The Frenchman is one of the many players who have pulled out of the tournament. A total of 11 players have announced their withdrawal from just the ATP circuit. Several notable WTA players have also pulled out of the Grand Slam.

Jannik Sinner and Joao Fonseca headline US Open’s withdrawal list

Jannik Sinner is undoubtedly the most notable name to withdraw from Flushing Meadows. The World No. 1 has been struggling with a right knee issue, and it resulted in him pulling out of the final major of the year. The injury had also forced him to withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters. Sinner tried his best to recover for the US Open, even trying shockwave therapy. But he just wasn’t able to recover in time.

Joao Fonseca is another prominent ATP player to withdraw from the US Open. He suffered an abdominal injury at the Cincinnati Masters that led to him pulling out of his second-round clash against Christopher O’Connell. It remains to be seen when he will regain full fitness.

Jack Draper is also not playing at the US Open this year. A bone bruise in the left arm has prevented him from participating in the tournament. He has had issues with his arm since last year’s US Open. He still hasn’t been able to recover from the problem, and this has resulted in several withdrawals this season.

On the WTA side, Victoria Mboko won’t be a part of the competition. The Canadian is still recovering from the knee injury that she picked up at the HSBC Championships. She has already missed many tournaments because of the setback, and it isn’t guaranteed whether she will return to action this year or not.

Emma Raducanu won’t be present in New York either, as she hasn’t recovered from the stress fracture in her right lower leg. She hasn’t played since the HSBC Championships, and her rank has dropped to No. 68 as a result.