Mass withdrawals hit Halle and Queen’s: Lorenzo Musetti, Arthur Fils and Matteo Berrettini just the start

It appears injuries are taking their toll this grass-swing, with a significant number of players withdrawing from the Halle Open and Queen's Club Championships. These two ATP 500 tournaments on grass serve as high-level precursors to Wimbledon.

Both tournaments run in parallel, starting on June 16. However, several renowned players have adjusted their schedules and will skip these events. Whether due to injuries or simply physical precaution, it won't be easy to arrive at Wimbledon without having gained sufficient rhythm on grass courts.

The main withdrawal at Halle is Arthur Fils, who turned 21 this week and was set to be the tournament's fifth seed. The Frenchman suffered a stress fracture that forced him to withdraw before playing the third round of Roland Garros, and there are serious doubts about his availability for Wimbledon.

Another withdrawal is Tallon Griekspoor. Although initially entered, he decided to pull out and will now only have one pre-Wimbledon grass-court tournament: the Mallorca Open, a week later. The same applies to Alejandro Tabilo, who, without disclosing any particular injury, will skip Halle and travel directly to Mallorca, where he is the defending champion.

Additionally, Alexander Bublik had gained entry into the main draw after other withdrawals, but was then announced as withdrawn himself. The Kazakh will be out of competition that week and will travel to Eastbourne, where he'll have to play the ATP 250 qualifiers.

A few days ago, Juan Carlos Ferrero hinted at the possibility of Carlos Alcaraz not attending the Queen's Club Championships. However, all indications now suggest the Spaniard, who won the title in 2023, will be present. Nevertheless, there are still some significant withdrawals from the draw.

Notably, world No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti is in serious doubt for Wimbledon. The Italian suffered an adductor tear (Grade 1) at Roland Garros, which forced him to retire during his match against Alcaraz. While there's optimism, his participation in Wimbledon, where he defends semifinals points, currently seems complicated.

Also pulling out of London was Tommy Paul, who was slated to be the tournament's fourth seed. He withdrew and will wait another week to appear on grass courts, as the second seed at the Eastbourne International.

Furthermore, there are some players who had only considered Queen's for Wimbledon preparation but ultimately won't play that pre-tournament event (or any other). These include Sebastian Korda, Quentin Halys, and two-time champion Matteo Berrettini.