Overview

• Novak Djokovic officially withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters for non-medical reasons, marking his second consecutive year absent from the event.
• He also sat out the Toronto Masters after citing a groin injury following his Wimbledon semifinal defeat to Jannik Sinner.
• The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not played a hard-court match since July 11 and will begin the U.S. Open without summer tune-up events.
• Djokovic says selective scheduling lets him preserve his fitness, spend more time with family and concentrate on claiming a record 25th major title.
• His decision underscores concerns about age-related wear and tear and raises questions about his match readiness in New York.