The US Open is still weeks away, but the tournament has already begun to feel the impact of player withdrawals. After 19 players pulled out ahead of Wimbledon, a similar pattern now seems to be unfolding at Flushing Meadows, where two experienced WTA players have unexpectedly withdrawn from the main draw.

Both Ajla Tomljanovic and Sonay Kartal have confirmed their respective withdrawals from the US Open. While Kartal’s replacement is yet to be decided, Tomljanovic’s withdrawal has resulted in Germany’s Ella Seidel getting a direct entry into the main draw.

The reason behind Tomljanovic’s withdrawal is currently unknown. The Australian had last been in action at Wimbledon, where she had been eliminated in the opening round following a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 defeat to Mariam Bolkvadze.

Tomljanovic was then scheduled to play at the Hellenic Championship and take on Clara Tauson in the second round, but she pulled out without giving any reason. Currently ranked No. 92, Tomljanovic can very well move out of the top 100 if she doesn’t get back into action after the US Open.

On the other hand, Kartal’s withdrawal doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Her last competitive appearance had come at the Indian Wells Masters in March. She had made an impressive run to the Round of 16, defeating players like Emma Navarro and Madison Keys in the process. But it all came crashing down for her during the clash against Elena Rybakina.

After losing the first set 6-4, Kartal was forced to retire due to a lower back issue while trailing by 4-3 in the second set. Scans would later reveal that she had sustained stress fractures and thus had to remain on the sidelines for an extended period of time.

Kartal missed the entire clay and grass swing, resulting in her dropping out of the top 100 on the WTA Rankings. The Brit is currently ranked No. 122 and has still not fully recovered from her injury and will be hoping that she can make her return to the court before the season’s end.

It is fair to say that both Tomljanovic and Kartal are navigating difficult phases in their careers. Whether they can overcome their respective physical setbacks and return stronger remains to be seen.

Notably, they aren’t the only WTA players to have withdrawn from the upcoming edition of the US Open. Turns out two additional players have also withdrawn from the US Open.

Victoria Mboko and Hailey Baptiste have also withdrawn from the US Open

Having been two of the breakout stars at last year’s US Open, the fortunes of both Mboko and Baptiste have turned drastically after 12 months. Both of their names were missing from the initial entry list that had been released by the US Open earlier this month. Both remain sidelined as they recover from serious injuries.

Mboko has been out of action since the HSBC Championships, where she suffered a nasty fall and twisted her knee badly during her clash against Karolina Pliskova. As a result, she wasn’t just forced to withdraw from the match, but from the tournament as a whole.

Mboko then had to pull out of Wimbledon and now from her home tournament, the Montreal Masters, next month. This was the same tournament where she had clinched the title last year. So, she will straight up be dropping 1000 points on the rankings due to her withdrawal.

On the other hand, Baptiste has been out of action for an even longer period than Mboko. The American had last played at the French Open, where she had suffered an ACL injury during the clash against Xiyu Wang. The setback couldn’t have come at a worse time for Baptiste.

She had made a superb run to the semifinals at the Madrid Open and had significantly improved her form. But Baptiste will now have to pretty much start over, as it’s unlikely that she will return to the court this season.