Tommy Paul, the American tennis star who captivated fans with his gritty run to the 2025 French Open quarter-finals, has been dealt a crushing blow as he battles a lingering injury. The 28-year-old, who achieved a career-high world No. 8 ranking on June 9, 2025, announced his withdrawal from the Queen’s Club Championships, where he was the defending champion, due to an abdominal strain that worsened during his Roland Garros campaign. “I’m crushed, I will not be able to play Queen’s next week,” Paul shared on Instagram, his disappointment palpable. “I sadly am still recovering from an abdominal strain and need more time to get fully fit.” As the grass-court season kicks off, Paul’s setback casts a shadow over his Wimbledon aspirations, but his resilience and love for the game keep hope alive for a swift return.
Paul’s journey at Roland Garros was a testament to his warrior spirit. Seeded No. 12, he opened his campaign with a four-set victory over lucky loser Elmer Møller, navigating the Dane’s unorthodox style with a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 scoreline. His second-round clash against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics was a five-set epic, where Paul, trailing by two sets and facing a match point at 5-3 in the fourth, staged a remarkable comeback, winning 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Despite a lower abdominal strain flaring up, he laughed off a bizarre bad-bounce service winner from Fucsovics, seizing 12 of the final 14 points. “I’ve been dealing with various discomforts for days, and the most significant one is in an adductor,” Paul revealed post-match, admitting he needed an MRI to assess the injury’s severity. “I felt that I have much more to offer in this tournament, I see clay as a great opportunity for me.”
His third-round battle against Karen Khachanov was equally grueling, with Paul overcoming cramps and his abdominal issue to secure his 200th tour-level win, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7), 3-6, 6-3. “Like a million bucks, I feel pretty good,” he quipped sarcastically to the Parisian crowd, masking his pain with humor. A straight-sets win over Alexei Popyrin (6-3, 6-3, 6-3) propelled him to the quarter-finals, making him and Frances Tiafoe the first American men to reach that stage at Roland Garros since Andre Agassi in 2003. However, against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Paul’s injuries—a heavily taped right thigh and the persistent abdominal strain—hampered his movement, leading to a 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 rout in 94 minutes. “I’ve felt better, you know?” Paul admitted, noting he “wasn’t moving amazing” early in the match.[](https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/45444645/alcaraz-dispatches-injured-tommy-paul-make-semis-paris)
The New Jersey native, who won the 2015 French Open boys’ title, has embraced clay in recent years, a shift from his hard-court roots in North Carolina. “I loved clay growing up and now I’m back to loving it,” he said before the tournament, crediting a training “boot camp” for his 12-3 clay record in 2025, including a Rome semi-final. Yet, the physical toll of his five-set marathons and the abdominal strain, first noted during his Fucsovics match, forced him to prioritize recovery over Queen’s. “I look forward to getting back on the grass soon,” he vowed, eyeing a return before Wimbledon, where he reached the 2024 quarter-finals.[](https://www.essentiallysports.com/atp-tennis-news-tommy-paul-issues-alarming-health-update-post-french-open-survival/)
Paul’s absence from Queen’s, where he clinched the 2024 title, impacts his live ATP ranking, dropping him to No. 12 with 3,470 points, as he loses 250 points from last year’s triumph. This setback threatens his chances of securing a top-16 Wimbledon seeding, which would have shielded him from early clashes with top players like Jannik Sinner or Alcaraz. His coach, Brad Stine, praised Paul’s tenacity, calling him a “warrior” who gave everything despite being “absolutely dominated” by Alcaraz’s thunderous forehands. With a bronze medal in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Taylor Fritz and a 2023 Australian Open semi-final on his resume, Paul’s determination remains unshaken.
As the tennis world turns its gaze to Wimbledon, Paul’s recovery timeline is critical. His history of overcoming injuries, like an ankle sprain before the 2024 Madrid Open, suggests he’ll approach rehabilitation with the same grit he showed in Paris. For now, fans await updates on his MRI results, hoping the American can return to the grass courts he loves and continue his quest to break the U.S. men’s Grand Slam drought, last ended by Andy Roddick in 2003. Paul’s journey, marked by heart and hustle, keeps him in the conversation as a contender, even as he navigates this latest hurdle.
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