This appears to be a calculated decision by Djokovic.
24-time major winner Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open with the start of the tennis calendar's final major, the U.S. Open, about three weeks away, aDjokovic, 38, is coming off of back-to-back semifinal finishes at the French Open and Wimbledon, with both defeats coming at the hands of world No.
1 Jannik Sinner. The Serbian tennis star also seemed to be compromised during his Wimbledon match against Sinner after slipping and landing awkwardly on the grass court towards the end of his quarterfinal win over Flavio Cobolli., as well as the fact that his main competition for winning majors happens to be players nearly half his age.. "The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets. I reach the final stages, I reach the semis of every Slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz. These guys are fit, young, sharp. "I feel like I'm going into the match with tank half empty. It's just not possible to win a match like that." Unless Djokovic is still feeling the effects of his injury, the move to skip Cincinnati appears to be a calculated decision aimed at getting the Serb some added rest ahead of the year's final major. At this point, Djokovic clearly values having a full tank rather than playing the tune-ups and potentially rising up the rankings should he win at a tournament such as Cincinnati. The U.S. Open is scheduled to begin on August 24. Djokovic has won the tournament four times in his decorated career, most recently in 2023.Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.
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