‘I am taking longer to recover,’ Novak Djokovic announces Cincinnati withdrawal
World number one Novak Djokovic has announced he will not feature at the upcoming Cincinnati Masters ahead of the US Open.
The Cincinnati Masters is the final pre-cursor event ahead of the US Open, meaning the Serbian will head straight to Flushing Meadows after his exploits in Tokyo.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to achieve the calendar Grand Slam, with only the US Open absent from his 2021 cabinet.
Djokovic said on Twitter: “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.
“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!”
❤️ @CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/J1N19eKOp4
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 9, 2021
I’ll miss you too @CincyTennis ? https://t.co/EtnvEdJG8b
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 9, 2021
