Joao Fonseca withdraws from US Open with abdominal issue

Joao Fonseca’s withdrawal removes the world No. 26 from the US Open men’s seeded draw and elevates Belgium’s Zizou Bergs into that group. Bergs, ranked 35th, will therefore avoid facing one of the tournament’s 32 highest-ranked players in the opening round.

Fonseca said on Instagram on Monday that medical examinations and treatment for an abdominal problem had convinced him that he needed additional recovery time. The decision came after he pulled out of his Cincinnati last-16 match against Christopher O’Connell last week, shortly before his 20th birthday. His absence follows those of Jannik Sinner and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina from the men’s field.

The Brazilian reached the second round in New York last year, so the withdrawal should not lead to a major ranking slide. It is, however, his first missed Grand Slam since his breakthrough season in 2024. Fonseca has a 19-13 record in 2026 and produced his strongest major result at Roland-Garros, where he reached the quarter-finals after defeating Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud. He had also won Buenos Aires and the ATP 500 event in Basel during his rise, and now hopes to return during the Asian swing.