Canada 25 Jul : Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the upcoming Canadian Masters in Toronto due to fatigue after going down against Carlos Alcaraz in over five-hour long Wimbledon final.
Serbian opted for rest and will skip the tournament but he promised to return for next year. Tennis Canada announced on Sunday that Djokovic pulled out of the only Canadian stop on the ATP Tour schedule due to fatigue. The 36-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion was set to begin his hard-court preparations for the US Open after falling to the top-ranked Alcaraz last Sunday in a five-set final at Wimbledon.
“I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take,” the four-time Canadian Masters winner said.
“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,” Djokovic added.
American Christopher Eubanks will gain automatic entry into the main draw as Djokovic’s replacement. Eubanks is fresh off a surprising quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, where he beat No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 12 seed Cam Norrie en route to the final eight.
“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.”