World No.1 Novak Djokovic has delayed his return to the Tour in order to rest after playing in the Olympic Games.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has withdrawn from next week’s Cincinnati Open which he has won on two previous occasions. In a statement posted on social media, Djokovic said his decision was made to help him recover fully in time for the US Open. Should he win the New York major he would achieve the calendar slam where a player wins all four major tournaments within the same season. Something that hasn’t been achieved by a male player since Rod Laver back in 1969.
“Dear fans, I wanted to share with you that I am taking a bit longer to recover and recuperate after quite a taxing journey from Australia to Tokyo,” Djokovic wrote on Twitter.
“Sadly, that means I won’t be ready to compete in Cincinnati this year so I’ll turn my focus and attention to US Open and spend some more time with family. See you in New York soon!”
Djokovic gave no mention of the injury which forced him to withdraw from a medal match at the Olympic Games. The Serbian narrowly missed out on a podium spot in the singles after losing to Pablo Carreno Busta in the bronze medal match. Shortly after that match, he withdrew from the mixed doubles competition due to a ‘left shoulder injury.’
So far this season the 34-year-old has achieved a win-loss record of 38-5 and has won four titles. Besides his triumph at the three Grand Slams, Djokovic also won the Belgrade Open in May. He has already won over $6M in prize money in 2021 which is more than double that of any other player on the ATP Tour.
Despite the absence of Djokovic from Cincinnati, the tournament will still feature five former champions including Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev. It is categorised as a Masters 1000 event.
Djokovic will be replaced in the main draw by Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
