Renowned Serbian Tennis Sensation Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Toronto ATP Masters and opted for rest due to fatigue, Tennis Canada announced on Sunday.
The news came out a week later after Djokovic’s loss against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set Wimbledon Final last week.
The 23-time Grand Slam Champion Novak in a press release said that he has always enjoyed his time in Canada, but his team also believes that the right decision is to withdraw from this tournament.
He further conveyed his gratitude to the tournament director Karl Harl for understanding and supporting his decision.
He expressed his ardent desire to his fans saying “I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there”.
Djokovic’s withdrawal will benefit the American tennis player Christopher Eubanks as he will replace the 36-year-old Novak.
Wimbledon quarterfinalist Eubank’s impressive performance has surprised top-seeded players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cam Norrie during the race for the top eight.
The last time Novak competed in Canada’s ATP Masters 1000 event was in the year 2018. Notably, the Serbian star has won the Tournament four times.
The tournament director Harl expressed his sorrow saying, Of course, we’re disappointed that Novak won’t be playing at the National Bank Open this year.
Harl added that Novak is an incredible player and the fans were also eager to watch him play at the ATP Canadian tour this year.
Karl stated that in the absence of Novak, we still have a long list of sensational players for this year’s grand tournament, which includes 41 players of the top 42 in the world.
Toronto’s Sobeys stadium is ready to host the tournament from August 3 to August 13, while the women’s side will be held at IGA Stadium in Montreal at the same time.
Novak Djokovic’s first-ever ATP title:
Novak’s wife Jelena Djokovic recently remembered his first-ever ATP tour trophy which he claimed way back around mid-2006. The Serb’s fame rose when he was 19 when he won Dutch Open in 2006.
To recall Novak’s accomplishment his wife recently tweeted a throwback picture where the Serbian star was celebrating his win with his father Srdjan Djokovic.
Facing his loss at the Wimbledon final to 20-year-old and World No1 Alcaraz, he lauded the young Spaniard for his win at the final saying “ Lost to a better player”.
The Spaniard overcame Djokovic winning his second major title after the 2022 US Open with a score of 1-6,7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 at the Centre Court.
Novak got teary-eyed, as he thanked his team for the support they showed throughout the journey.
Carlos played exceptionally well, he restricted the Serb from equalizing the record for most Grand Slam titles(24) by Margaret Court and Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.
After the Wimbledon loss, Novak was asked about a rivalry with the young Spaniard, and he admitted that their rivalry is good for the sport.
Seeking recovery, Novak Djokovic was recently snapped enjoying a vacation in Croatia with his family in a Yacht named after his daughter Tara.
Sania Mirza on Novak Djokovic:
in a recent interview with Week’s Neeru Bhatia, India’s legendary tennis player Sania Mirza backed Novak saying that Novak has to be considered the Greatest of all time (GOAT) male player if the numbers are considered.
She further praised Djokovic for how he has evolved physically and mentally to become the best possible version of himself over the years. In her opinion, the former world No 2 Serbian is the best player of all time.
