(Tennis news) Without Novak Djokovic, the opening ATP Masters 1000 competition of the summer hard-court season will take place. The National Bank Open in Toronto, which starts on August 4, has received word from the competition that the world No. 2 has withdrawn owing to exhaustion.
Djokovic, a four-time champion in Canada, hasn’t participated in the competition since 2018. Due to his lack of a COVID-19 vaccination during the past two years, he has been prohibited from entering the country. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a five-set, nearly four-hour Wimbledon final last week, snapping Djokovic’s 20-match winning streak at Grand Slam competitions this year.
“I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take,” Djokovic said in a statement. “I would like to thank Karl Hale, the tournament director, for understanding this decision. I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there.”
Due to Djokovic’s withdrawal, Chris Eubanks, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, enters the main event at No. 31 in the ATP rankings.
“Of course, we’re disappointed that Novak won’t be playing at the National Bank Open this year,” Hale said. “He’s an incredible player and one we know our fans were eager to watch at Sobeys Stadium.
“He will be missed but we still have a long list of sensational players confirmed for this year’s event, including 41 of the top 42 players in the world.”
Djokovic is still listed as a participant in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, which gets underway on August 12. His first competition on American soil is anticipated to be in 2021.
There are four phases to the summer hard-court season, and each one offers more prize money and ranking points. The 250s are played first, followed by the 500s, the 1000s, and then the New York Grand Slam. Phase three will begin on Monday with the dual Masters 1000s competitions in Canada.
The women are in Toronto this year, while the men are in Montréal. Everybody who can attend an event that is required does so. That excludes Victoria Azarenka (visa troubles), Rafael Nadal (abdominal injury), and Novak Djokovic (not immunised), but it does include Serena Williams, who has appeared alongside Venus Williams. Here is a breakdown of how both draws turned out.
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