World number six Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, the last Masters 1000 event staged on the hard court surface before the US Open.
On this day a year ago, the 24-time Grand Slam champion won his first Olympic gold medal in Paris, completing the Golden Slam, a feat he described as “the pinnacle of an athlete’s career.”
The Golden Slam consists of winning all four Grand Slams as well as the Olympic gold medal. To this day, only five players have completed such an achievement in tennis history: Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic.
Following the Olympics, the Serbian player did not compete in the North American summer hard-court swing, a pattern he is repeating this year.
Overall, the Belgrade-born has played 10 tournaments this season, reaching the semifinals in Australia, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon.
His best result on the hard courts came at the Miami Open, falling in the final to Czech player Jacub Mensik.
In contrast, he came short of his best tennis on the red clay at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, stunned in his opening round by unseeded Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets.
Last May, he claimed a landmark 100th career title at the ATP 250 Geneva Open, surging to victory over sixth seed Hubert Hurkacz after an edgy three-set final.
At the age of 38, he will head into the US Open without having played a single tournament since Wimbledon, where he made it through the semifinals, falling to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
During Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the three-time Cincinnati winner will contest the reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, partnering compatriot Olga Danilovic.
Late in July, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced 14 of the 16 stellar teams to feature at the event. Eight received direct entry based on their combined singles ranking, in addition to six teams awarded wild cards. The final two wild cards are yet to be confirmed.
The event, presented by Vital Proteins, will award $1million in prize money to the winning team.
The Cincinnati Open will take place over 14 days (up from 9) this season, expanding the men’s and women’s singles fields from 56 to 96 players.
The Masters 1000 will be staged at the Lindner Family Tennis Center from Tuesday, Aug. 5, through Monday, Aug. 18.