Tennis star Novak Djokovic has left fans worried about his health as he has decided to withdraw from the 2025 Cincinnati Open, marking the second consecutive year he has missed the event.
The former world number one is expected to return for the seventh Masters 1000 of the season, having withdrawn from the Canadian Masters. Djokovic also missed both events in 2024, although he then had a successful run at the Paris Olympics, which gave him six more matches.
Djokovic continues to not attend Cincinnati Open (Photo: Getty).
The Serbian tennis legend's most recent match was a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to world number one Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals, marking his fifth consecutive loss to the Italian.
Most worryingly, Djokovic had a huge slip-up late in his quarter-final against Flavio Cobolli. Against Sinner, the Serb was very cautious in the second half of the match, unable to capitalize on his trademark defensive abilities.
After the match, Djokovic shared in a press conference: "To be honest, I didn't really feel good on the court. I don't want to talk about my injury in detail and complain about not being able to play my best. I want to congratulate Jannik for another great performance. That's all, he's in the final, he's too strong."
He added: "I'm really frustrated that I can't move as well as I hoped. I don't think it's bad luck, it's just age, the wear and tear of the body. No matter how well I take care of my body, reality is hitting me right now. In the past year and a half, things haven't been the same.
I find it hard to accept because I feel like when I'm fit, when I'm healthy, I can play really good tennis. I've proven that this year. Playing BO5s, especially this year, is really a physical challenge for me. The longer the tournament goes on, the worse it gets."
Djokovic's ability to return to the top is being questioned (Photo: Getty).
Despite reaching the final or semi-finals of every Grand Slam this year, Djokovic said he often faced a physical disadvantage. "I've reached the final, reached the semi-finals of every Grand Slam this year, but I had to play Sinner or Alcaraz. These guys are strong, young, sharp. I felt like I was going into the match with half my strength. It's impossible to win a match like that," he expressed his frustration.
Still, Djokovic says he's learning to accept the reality. "That's life, you know? It's one of those things where I accept it and embrace it in a way, face it as it is, and try to make the most of it, I guess," he concluded.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/djokovic-bo-cincinnati-open-nghi-ngo-gap-chan-thuong-nang-20250805071519444.htm
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