Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament before the 2025 US Open, raising fresh concerns about the Serbian star’s fitness ahead of the season’s final Grand Slam.
Tournament organizers announced Djokovic‘s withdrawal on Monday, August 4 in a decision that immediately ignited speculation regarding his readiness for Flushing Meadows later this August.
At 38 years old, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is facing renewed physical struggles after an already demanding year, although he has managed to the semifinals in all three major tournaments.
However, despite that he has failed to make a final since his 2024 Wimbledon appearance and has not lifted a major trophy since winning the US Open in 2023, in which he beat Daniil Medvedev.
His most recent outing, at Wimbledon, he lost to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals after appearing to sustain an injury following a fall during his quarterfinal match against Flavio Cobolli.
After the match, Djokovic acknowledged the toll of playing best-of-five matches at his age as he approaches closer and closer to the 40 mark as retirement begins to beckon for the great.
“I guess playing best-of-five, particularly this year,” Djokovic said at the time. “Has been a real struggle for me physically.
“The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets. I reach the final stages, I reach the semis of every Slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or [Carlos] Alcaraz.
“These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with tank half empty. It’s just not possible to win a match like that.”
Could Djokovic drop further down in ATP rankings?
Additionally, Djokovic‘s decision not to compete in Cincinnati could have implications beyond fitness as it creates an opportunity for rising stars, like Alex de Minaur, to leapfrog the Serbian in the ATP rankings.
De Minaur, currently enjoying a strong hard court run, recently won the ATP 500 event in Washington and followed that by reaching the quarterfinals of the ATP 1000 in Toronto and could leap above the all-timer.
The Australian, who has found new rhythm with the Wilson Ultra v5 racket, now sits at No. 6 in the live rankings and is in close competition with the United States’ Ben Shelton for that position.
If either Shelton or De Minaur captures the Toronto title, they would surpass Djokovic in the official ATP rankings once they are updated after the tournament, kicking the Serbian down to seventh.
Djokovic, who has previously held the world No. 1 spot for a record 428 weeks, has downplayed the importance of rankings in recent years but will still want to stay within the top eight.
Not only will it help to maintain his prestige in the modern era, doing so ensures he avoids meeting top seeds like Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz before the US Open quarterfinals.
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