File picture of Ons Jabeur of Tunisia
| Photo Credit: AP
Ons Jabeur, the 2022 U.S. Open women’s runner-up, withdrew from this year’s tournament because of a shoulder injury.
Jabeur was to be the No. 17 seed in the tournament that begins Monday. The U.S. Tennis Association said Elise Mertens, the next-highest player eligible to be seeded, will become the No. 33 seed.
Jabeur has struggled with injuries recently, pulling out of the hard-court tournament in Washington before losing to Naomi Osaka in her lone match in Montreal. She wrote in an Instagram post Thursday that her shoulder had not recovered in time to allow her to play at Flushing Meadows.
The Tunisian also reached the finals of Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023.