Novak Djokovic pulls out of Cincinnati Open, will head to US Open with no competitive tennis since Wimbledon
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Updated 05/08/2025 at 08:23 GMT+1
Novak Djokovic will compete at the US Open without playing any competitive tennis since Wimbledon after withdrawing from this week's Cincinnati Open. The Serbian reached the semi-finals at SW19 last month before falling to Jannik Sinner, and will continue his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title in New York later this month. The US Open begins on August 24 at Flushing Meadows.
Highlights: Sinner thrashes Djokovic to reach maiden final after Alcaraz gets better of Fritz
Video credit: SNTV
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open and will go into the final major of the year at the US Open with no competitive tennis since Wimbledon.
A tournament spokesperson confirmed the news ahead of the ATP Masters 1000 event starting on Thursday, The Athletic reported.
It marks the second consecutive year that Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament, where he is a three-time champion, after doing the same in the wake of his charge to Olympic gold last summer.
Djokovic, 38, last featured in a non-Grand Slam event when he won the Geneva Open in May ahead of Roland-Garros.
In the French Open in Paris, the 24-time major winner’s run was ended by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, before history repeated itself in June at Wimbledon.
The two locked horns again in the last four, with eventual champion Sinner again prevailing in straight sets.
After that match, Djokovic cooled any rumours of retirement by talking about his hopes for the future.
"I would be sad, but hopefully it's not my last match on the Centre Court," Djokovic said in his post-match press conference.
"I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I'm planning to come back, definitely at least one more time, to play on Centre Court.
"I'm so fresh off the court, it's hard to put things in a larger perspective and say what the plan is for the next few months or a year."
Djokovic last reached a major final at Wimbledon 2024, when he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz for a second year in a row, while his last Grand Slam title came at the US Open in 2023.
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Video credit: SNTV
The Serbian great will be looking to repeat that feat this year at Flushing Meadows as he goes in search of a record-extending 25th major title that would see him break Sinner and Alcaraz’s stranglehold of the major titles.
The Italian and Spaniard have shared the last seven major titles since Djokovic’s victory in New York two years ago.
Four of Djokovic’s 24 major wins have come at the US Open; in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2023.
But he suffered a third-round exit to Alexei Popyrin last year in a disappointing title defence, his earliest exit at the tournament since 2006.
- Wimbledon winner Swiatek stunned in early Montreal exit
- 'Disappointed' Canadian Open tournament director reacts to Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic absence
Djokovic was also absent from the Canadian Open last week, as were Alcaraz and Sinner.
He has been busy off the court, though, with news emerging in recent days of his investment in French second-tier football club Le Mans alongside Formula 1 drivers past and present.
The US Open begins on Sunday, August 24 and concludes on Sunday, September 7.
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