Grigor Dimitrov And Jack Draper Withdraw From 2025 Rotterdam Open
News
The 2025 Rotterdam Open entry list has been further eroded after Grigor Dimitrov and Jack Draper withdrew from the tournament.
Dimitrov looked set to make a strong start to 2025 after reaching the semifinal of the Brisbane International, an event he won last year. Unfortunately, he had to retire with an injury during the second set of the semifinal against Jiri Lehecka.
The Bulgarian attempted to compete in the opening round of the Australian Open but was struck by injuries again. Dimitrov received treatment for his hip and groin during the match against Francesco Passaro.
Last year's Stockholm Open runner-up never looked comfortable throughout the contest and eventually retired in the second set. Problems in two separate areas made the issues particularly concerning.
Although Dimitrov retired from the Australian Open over two weeks ago, his withdrawal from the Rotterdam Open is unsurprising. Hip and groin problems often have lengthy recovery times, and having both issues at once only makes that worse.
It is a blow for Dimitrov after an excellent 2024 season. He performed consistently throughout the year and came close to qualifying for the ATP Finals. The 33-year-old narrowly missed out but did well to stay in contention for so long.
Dimitrov is an experienced player who found some of the best tennis of his career after many years as a professional. By contrast, Draper is an emerging star who many believe can get near the top and challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Despite not being at his best in the opening three rounds of the Australian Open, Draper showed remarkable resilience to prevail in all the matches in five sets. Winning three consecutive five-set battles requires excellent fitness, something the Briton has worked hard on.
Unfortunately, those efforts meant he began his fourth round against Carlos Alcaraz with a hip issue. Playing with a physical issue made victory against the Spaniard unlikely from the start, although Novak Djokovic beat Alcaraz in the quarterfinal with a leg injury.
After attempting to compete against Alcaraz for two sets, Draper retired. It was a sensible move since a comeback seemed almost impossible, and he could have made the problem worse by continuing to put strain on it.
Although there has been no official announcement from Draper, he likely wants to rest the hip injury. Many significant tournaments are upcoming, and giving himself a lengthy period on the sidelines by overplaying would be unwise.
Draper's stated goal of shaking up Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will not be possible if he is out with a severe injury. After winning the Vienna Open, the 22-year-old said that competing against Alcaraz and Sinner was his goal for 2025.
Last year's US Open semifinalist also suffered a frustrating off-season after missing a planned camp with Carlos Alcaraz due to an injury. That and the injury against the four-time Grand Slam champion in Melbourne prevented Draper from testing himself against the world No. 3.
Jordan Thompson also withdrew from the Rotterdam Open. Those three players join Jannik Sinner, who pulled out after winning his second Australian Open title a few days ago.
Roberto Bautista Agut, David Goffin, and Lorenzo Sonego replace those three players on the entry list.
