Sebastian Korda will not begin his 2025 season at the Brisbane International after withdrawing from the tournament.
Korda's natural talent is outstanding, and many have high hopes for him. Although he has endured some setbacks since emerging on the ATP Tour, many memorable moments have also occurred.
His best run at a Grand Slam came at the 2023 Australian Open, including a victory against the three-time runner-up in Melbourne, Daniil Medvedev. Unfortunately, he had to retire in the quarterfinal against Karen Khachanov.
Korda's most significant title was this year's Citi Open on home soil in Washington. The American recovered from losing the first set against Flavio Cobolli to triumph at the ATP 500 tournament.
That also ended a run of five consecutive losses in finals. Before his success in Washington, Korda's only previous title was on clay at the Emilia-Romagana Open in May 2021, where he beat Marco Cecchinato in the final.
His title run at the Citi Open was followed by reaching the semifinals of the Canadian Open. Because of his performance in the events before the year's final Grand Slam, some were tipping Korda as a dark horse at the US Open.
Unfortunately, Korda's progress was unexpectedly halted. The 24-year-old struggled with an elbow injury throughout his straight-sets defeat to Tomas Machac in the second round, getting treatment for it multiple times.
That injury turned out to be more severe than Korda initially hoped. In October, he underwent successful surgery for the problem and was hopeful at that stage of returning to the ATP Tour soon.
Korda entered tournaments during the closing stages of 2024 but had to withdraw from events like the Paris Masters and Vienna Open before officially ending his season early and focusing on fully recovering from the injury.
The two-time ATP title winner probably hoped the off-season would have given him enough time to overcome that ailment, but his withdrawal from the Brisbane International could indicate that this was not the case.
No official reason for Korda's withdrawal from the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane was given. However, his withdrawal is likely related to the elbow injury that has plagued him for over four months.
Hopefully, it is only a minor setback if that is the reason for Korda's withdrawal. Players are usually most cautious in the weeks leading up to a Grand Slam to ensure they do not miss the most significant tournaments.
The experienced Dusan Lajovic replaces Korda in the draw. He will face the talented but mercurial Arthur Cazaux in what promises to be a fascinating battle at the Brisbane International.
Korda's withdrawal is not the only high-profile recent one. Emma Raducanu pulled out of the ASB Classic in Auckland, a tournament also taking place this week. The move undoubtedly disappointed many of the fans who bought tickets for the event.
This year's Australian Open will undoubtedly be better if Raducanu and Korda are involved. They still have nearly two weeks to be ready for the year's opening Grand Slam.
