Marin Cilic pulls out of 2023 Australian Open

Cilic’s withdrawal follows those of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, two-time champion Naomi Osaka, and seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams who had already announced that they were set to miss the 2023 Australian Open.

FILE PHOTO: Croatia’s Marin Cilic has pulled out of the 2023 Australian Open. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Marin Cilic has pulled out from the 2023 Australian Open, the 34-year-old Croatian announced on social media on Wednesday.

“Not a great start to 2023 and few tough days in Melbourne. Devastated I can’t play this year at AustralianOpen but health comes first. See you next year Melbourne,” tweeted Cilic, who was the runner-up in 2018.

Not a great start to 2023 and few tough days in Melbourne.
Devastated I can't play this year at @AustralianOpen but health comes first.
See you next year Melbourne!
😔👋

— Marin Cilic (@cilic_marin) January 11, 2023

Last week, top-seeded Cilic had withdrawn from his quarterfinal clash against eventual champion Tallon Griekspoor at Tata Open Maharashtra due to a knee injury sustained in warm-up, hours before the match.

Former World No. 3 and 2014 US Open champion Cilic is not the first high-profile name who will miss the first Major of the year. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz had earlier announced that he will not be able to make it to this year’s Australian Open as he had hurt himself “through a chance, unnatural movement in training.”

READ: Full list of players who will miss 2023 Australian Open

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has also withdrawn from the tournament. However, the reason for her absence was not mentioned by the tournament organisers.

Venus Williams, former World No. 1 but currently ranked outside the top 1000, was given a wildcard to play in her 22nd Australian Open but suffered an injury during the warm-up tournament, the ASB Classic in New Zealand.