Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open, the ATP Masters 1000 tournament announced Monday.
Djokovic posted a note to his fans on social media after the announcement.
“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. “Sadly, that means I won’t be ready to compete in Cincinnati this year, so I’ll turn my focus and attention to the US Open and spend some more time with family. See you in New York soon!”
❤️ @CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/J1N19eKOp4
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 9, 2021
Djokovic has won the Western & Southern Open twice. In 2018, the Serbian completed the Career Golden Masters in Cincinnati. He also triumphed last year, when the event was held in New York at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World No. 1 has won the season’s first three majors at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Djokovic will try to become the first man to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969.
The 34-year-old is 38-5 in 2021. Djokovic most recently competed at the Tokyo Olympics, where he lost in the semi-finals against German Alexander Zverev and the bronze-medal match against Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Western & Southern Open will be played from 15-22 August.
