The lead up to this year's Australian Open has "so far been dominated by injury doubts, player withdrawals and off-field issues," which has left organizers "sweating over which marquee players will actually turn up and be fit enough to see out the fortnight," according to Vicki Hodges of the London TELEGRAPH. Ahead of the tournament's start on Jan. 15, here is a look at the players who are "missing in action" and those whose participation "remains unclear."
THE WITHDRAWALS: British No. 1 Andy Murray "reluctantly made the call to pull out of his second successive grand slam with a long-standing hip injury" and is "heading for home to assess his options." The 30-year-old "floated the possibility of surgery," having already spent nearly six months "on the sidelines." Japan's Kei Nishikori became the "first high-profile player to rule himself out of the slam earlier this week." The 28-year-old has "been sidelined with a wrist injury since last August" but "feels he needs more time" to continue his rehab and is not yet ready for the "rigours of five-set matches."
INJURY DOUBTS: Spaniard Rafael Nadal has been "plagued by a knee issue," and his withdrawal from the Brisbane Int'l this week "led to fears his chances of being fit to compete at the Australian Open were in the balance." Reigning Wimbledon women's champion Garbiñe Muguruza "broke down in tears" at the Brisbane event when she was "struck by leg cramps which forced her to retire." It is the fourth year running the Spaniard has withdrawn from Brisbane but on "every other occasion she has been fit enough to compete in Melbourne." Hours before Murray's official withdrawal from Melbourne, Britain's Johanna Konta was forced to pull out of her Brisbane quarterfinal with a similar injury. The British women's No. 1 will be assessed on Friday but her participation as defending champion at the Sydney Int'l next week "looks in doubt." Six-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic will use two exhibition tournaments to "determine whether his elbow is up to the rigours of competitive action again."
NEW MOM: Eleven months after winning her seventh Australian Open in her first trimester, Serena Williams is "still contemplating whether she is fit enough to defend her crown." She lost an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi last week, her "first competitive action in almost a year after giving birth to her daughter in September."
LEGAL BATTLE: Belarusian Victoria Azarenka "faces missing out on a second straight slam due to an ongoing legal battle surrounding the custody of her son." She was handed a wildcard but her appearance "remains highly unlikely."
ACCESS DENIED: After admitting to "feigning injury" and being "a little bored" at Wimbledon, Australian Bernard Tomic has not been handed a wildcard for the tournament and "declared he will not put himself through qualifying." If rumors are correct, Tomic is "being lined up" to appear in "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here" (TELEGRAPH, 1/4).
'VERY CHILDISH': In Melbourne, Aleks Devic reported former tennis player Margaret Court "turned her back" on the Australian Open for "crabbing" following the "controversy her gay marriage comments incited." She also "issued a warning" to any players thinking of boycotting playing on the court named after her at Melbourne's tennis center. She said, "I think that is petty if they do that and it says what's in their heart. I think that's very childish -- but that's not up to me and it doesn't affect me." There were calls last year to rename Margaret Court Arena after she "caused outrage with comments she would boycott Qantas as a protest against the airline’s support for same-sex marriage" (HERALD SUN, 1/4).
