Daijiworld Media Network – Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Aug 5: Novak Djokovic has officially withdrawn from the ATP Cincinnati Masters, tournament officials confirmed on Monday. The announcement comes exactly one year after the Serbian legend clinched Olympic gold in Paris, adding a symbolic note to the timing of his decision.

The 38-year-old tennis icon has not competed since his semi-final loss to Italy’s Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, and with this latest pullout, he will enter the US Open later this month without any competitive matches in the interim.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, first appeared in Cincinnati in 2005 and has claimed the title three times — most recently in 2023 after five previous runner-up finishes.

World number one Jannik Sinner, who also skipped the ongoing ATP Toronto Masters for recovery, has already arrived in Cincinnati and began practice over the weekend. On Monday, he and his team shared a light-hearted golf course selfie on social media, signaling a relaxed but focused build-up to the US Open.

With Djokovic sitting out, all eyes will now be on Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz — both aiming to maintain form heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.