Djokovic Withdraws Cincinnati Open, Faces US Open Fitness Uncertainty

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, citing a non-medical reason, and will enter the 2025 US Open without having played a competitive match since his Wimbledon semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner in July. Djokovic, 38, has struggled physically this year, admitting that the demands of best-of-five set matches are increasingly challenging as he faces younger, fitter opponents like Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. His recent inactivity follows a groin injury that also kept him out of the Toronto Masters, leaving him without any hard-court preparation ahead of the US Open starting August 24. Despite concerns about his fitness after a fall during Wimbledon’s quarter-finals, Djokovic aims to win a fifth US Open title, having won previously in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023. He has reached the semi-finals in all three Grand Slams in 2025 but has not won a major since the 2023 US Open. Djokovic has indicated that maintaining his ATP ranking is less of a priority as he adapts to the physical challenges at this stage of his career.