Novak Djokovic is withdrawing from the 2024 National Bank Open, Tennis Canada announced Monday.
The Serbian is currently competing in the Olympic Games and reached the third round on Monday after defeating Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, is vying for an Olympic gold medal in Paris, the only accolade missing from his impressive collection of 98 trophies, a record 24 of which were won at Grand Slam tournaments.
“While we’re disappointed that Novak [Djokovic] will be unable to take part in this year’s tournament, we understand his decision and wish him the best at the Olympics and the remainder of his season,” said Valérie Tétreault, Tournament Director, National Bank Open – Montreal. “He’s an incredible player, and we know our fans were excited to have him back at IGA Stadium this summer. That being said, our tournament still boasts an exceptional list of players for this year’s event with 42 of the 43 best players in the world, and we can’t wait to see them in action soon.”
Djokovic is a four-time National Bank Open champion, taking home the trophy in 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2016. He last played in the event in 2018.
With Djokovic’s withdrawal, Roman Safiullin will now gain automatic entry into the main draw.
The tournament’s official draw, for both the men’s event in Montreal and the women’s event in Toronto, will be held Saturday with qualification beginning Sunday.
The Paris Olympics means this year’s National Bank Open will start and end a day later than usual.
-With files from the Canadian Press