Overview

• He officially pulled out of both the Canadian Open in Montreal and the Cincinnati Masters for non-medical reasons, extending his hiatus since a Wimbledon semifinal loss.
• Djokovic attributes his decision to the physical toll of best-of-five matches on his 38-year-old body as he focuses on Grand Slam performance.
• Without competitive singles play for almost six weeks, he faces the prospect of slipping further in the ATP rankings and losing a top-six seed at Flushing Meadows.
• Analysts caution that the lack of match sharpness could undermine his bid for a record-equalling 25th major title in New York.
• He will compete in the US Open mixed doubles draw as a wildcard alongside Olga Danilovic to secure valuable on-court time.