Sidelined Reilly Opelka withdraws from the Australian Open
Zhang Zhizhen moves into the main draw as a result of the American pulling out.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Open officials say Reilly Opelka has withdrawn from the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
Although no reason was given the withdrawal on Wednesday, the 25-year-old American has been troubled by hip and ankle injuries over the last half of 2022. Opelka has not played a match since his loss to Nick Kyrgios at the 2022 Citi Open in Washington in August.
The beneficiary of Opelka's withdrawal is Zhang Zhizhen, who will appear in his third main singles draw at a Grand Slam tournament beginning Jan. 16 at Melbourne Park.