TORONTO, July 24 (AP): Novak Djokovic withdrew from the National Bank Open, opting for additional rest after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
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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 U.S. 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,” said Djokovic, who has won the National Bank Open four times.
“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.”
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.”
Toronto’s Sobeys Stadium will host the men’s side of the national tennis championship from Aug. 3 to Aug. 13. The women’s side will be at Montreal’s IGA Stadium at the same time.
