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Novak Djokovic - US Open 2023
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Novak Djokovic withdraws from Cincinnati Masters ahead of US Open title defence


Novak Djokovic has officially withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters, confirming that the Serbian will be playing no hard court tournaments in the lead up to the US Open.

Djokovic is coming off the back of winning his first Olympic gold medal at 37-years-old, after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final in Paris.

The 24-time major winner has a significant number of ranking points to defend in the coming weeks, with Djokovic the defending champion in both Cincinnati and at the US Open in New York.

However, Djokovic has already relinquished his 1000 points from winning the title in Cincinnati last year, after it was announced that he would withdraw from the event.

There has been no official reason given for Djokovic’s withdrawal, but Cincinnati Masters tournament director Bob Moran suggested that the quick turnaround from the Olympics is a relevant factor.

“We certainly understand that it is a quick turnaround from his Olympic triumph to come to Cincinnati,” said Moran. “His title run here last year was so memorable. We are eager to see him on court again soon.”

As a result, the three-time tournament champion has been replaced by Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

Djokovic will return to action for the final major of 2024 at the US Open, with the main draw getting underway on Monday 26th August.

Inside the baseline…

This withdrawal is not of much surprise really, and although many players need match practice on a different surface, Novak Djokovic has so much experience of these situations that it does not feel as relevant. After Djokovic’s fantastic run to the Olympic gold medal, many have changed their expectations of the Serbian ahead of the US Open with a record 25th Grand Slam title on the line, with the 37-year-old having a relatively unsuccessful season prior to the Paris Games.

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Matthew Johns, Tennishead Writer, is a professional tennis journalist with a specialist degree in Sports Journalism. He's a keen tennis player having represented his local club and University plus he's also a qualified tennis coach. Matthew has a deep knowledge of tennis especially the ATP Tour and thrives on breaking big tennis news stories for Tennishead.