British tennis star Johanna Konta became the latest to withdraw from the US Open despite being in New York for the hard court Grand Slam. Russian youngster Kamilla Rakhimova will take her place and will face Kristina Mladenovic in the opening round.

Johanna Konta forced to withdraw from the US Open hours before opening round match

Konta struggled for form throughout the 2021 season. She suffered first-round exits at the Australian Open and the French Open, and skipped the Wimbledon Championships after that.

However, the Briton defeated World No. 5 Elina Svitolina in the National Bank Open, which gave her some much needed confidence. She arrived in Flushing Meadows without being a seed. However, just hours before her opening match against Mladenovic today, disaster struck the World No. 47.

According to the official WTA Twitter handle, a thigh injury rules out the 30-year-old from the iconic tournament taking place at Flushing Meadows. This opens the door for Rakhimova to take her place as a ‘lucky loser’.

Rakhimova to face Mladenovic in opening round of the US Open

The 20-year-old Russian recorded victories over Lizette Cabrera and Usue Maitane Arconada in the qualifiers last week. However, she suffered a loss in straight sets to Kristyna Pliskova in her third qualifier on Friday, August 27.

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Despite her loss, she benefits from Konta’s withdrawal as she makes her maiden appearance in the main draw of the US Open against Mladenovic. In addition, this will be her second appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam since the French Open in 2020.

READ MORE: Who is Johanna Konta’s Partner & Boyfriend, Jackson Wade?