Roger Federer will miss the Rogers Cup, the Masters event in Canada in early August, the tournament announced Monday.
The 20-time grand slam champion said in an event news release that he will not play in Toronto — home of the rotating ATP event this year — because he needs to trim his schedule.
“I’m so disappointed not to play at the Rogers Cup this summer,” Federer said. “I had a fantastic time in Montreal last year and always enjoy playing in front of the Canadian fans, but unfortunately with scheduling being the key to my longevity moving forward, I have regrettably decided to withdraw from Toronto this year. I wish the tournament every success and am sorry to miss it.”
Federer, 36, remains on the entry list for the masters event the following week in Cincinnati, which is now expected to be his lone summer hard court event before the US Open. Federer has had considerably more success in the American midwest, winning seven titles, than north of the border, where he is just 2-4 in finals and last won in 2006.
One such finals loss came last year, when Alexander Zverev handled Federer 6-3, 6-4, in Montreal, aided by injury woes for the Swiss great.
The 27-time Masters champion is coming off a surprising Wimbledon quarterfinal loss to Kevin Anderson; Federer held match point in the third set before losing in an extended fifth.
A light schedule is nothing new for the current world No. 2 late in his career. He has played just seven events this year and skipped the entire clay court season each of the last two seasons, citing longevity concerns.
Also Monday, tournament organizers said world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will play his first match in Toronto on Wednesday, 8 August. Hometown favorite Denis Shapovalov, who made a stirring run to the Rogers Cup semifinals last year, will headline Tuesday’s play. Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic is also slated to play, while Andy Murray has received a wild card.
Veteran Frenchman Jeremy Chardy will take Federer’s place in the main draw.
