Wimbledon was a whirlwind of emotions, to say the least! Jannik Sinner snatched the crown just a week ago, dethroning two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz with a steely performance. Novak Djokovic? He was one of many who couldn’t stop the Italian’s surge—his chance at a 25th Grand Slam and tying Roger Federer at SW19 slipping away. Now, with the grass season officially in the rear-view mirror, everyone’s prepping for what’s next on the hard courts. Or so we thought. Sinner and Djokovic seem to have hit pause on the action.On Sunday, fans braced for the return of the Italian and the Serb, in Canada at the National Bank Open, but the organizers dropped a bombshell: “Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have been forced to withdraw from the 2025 National Bank Open in Toronto as they recover following Wimbledon.” The two players really did give it their all, so is this a surprise?
Credits: Wimbledon/X
Let’s not forget, both finalists had troubles of their own during their campaigns. Sinner, who won at the 2023 National Bank Open, took a nasty tumble in his first set against Grigor Dimitrov and landed hard on his elbow. He advanced after Dimitrov retired, but Jannik Sinner’s right arm was sleeved—the discomfort was visible. Even so, he powered through and won the final. Resilience at its finest.
He expressed his “disappointment” at skipping the tournament this year. “Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me, but after speaking with my team, I have to recover,” he said. What about Nole?
Djokovic, who won the National Bank Open four times, looked strong at Wimbledon until his quarterfinal against Andrey Rublev. That all changed in the last game—he slipped on the grass. Suddenly, there were whispers about his form heading into the semi against Sinner. He showed his trademark grit, but with both stars nursing injuries, it was Sinner who bested the Serb in their second semifinal duel this season.
Now, with both of them officially out of Toronto, the big question is: will we see these heavyweights back for Cincinnati? Only time will tell!
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