Novak Djokovic, a 23-time major winner, will not compete in the National Bank Open in Toronto, where he has won 4 times in the past, as the Serbian chose to extend his recovery process after the historic Wimbledon 2023 final, which he unfortunately lost.
Djokovic, 36, withdrew from the tournament in Canada on Sunday, citing fatigue as he prepares for the next big-ticket tournament in the tennis calendar.
Djokovic stated, “I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take.” He added, “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.”
Just over a week ago, Djokovic lost to World No. 1 and top-seeded Spanish youngster Carlos Alcaraz in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, as the 20-year-old teenager won his first-ever Wimbledon title and his second grand slam title after the one he won in the United States in 2022.
Djokovic stormed into the final of the famous championships at the SW19 but failed at the last moment in a dramatic way as Alcaraz dug deep to pick up a remarkable victory after giving up the opening set of the championship game to Djokovic in a rather tame fashion.
However, Alcaraz fought hard to secure the second set on a tiebreaker, tying the match, before taking the lead in the third set with a 6-1 victory.
Djokovic did not give up without a fight, winning the fourth set of the summit clash to tie the match at two sets each and forcing the final to a deciding fifth set. The fifth set was played with great balance until Alcaraz broke Djokovic on his service game and held out for the win.