Federer and Djokovic withdraw from the Rogers Cup 2019

Masters 1000 takes place in Montreal, Canada from August 5 to August 11 will be absent from the world’s top two players, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The news that Federer did not come to Montreal was made immediately during the press conference after the Wimbledon final in 2019. And yesterday, July 25, world number one Djokovic also announced his withdrawal from the Montreal tournament, citing the need for a break after the intense battles in the past All England Club.

“I am sorry to announce that I will be absent from the upcoming Rogers Cup tournament. I am trying to recover my fitness with the support of my team to be able to return to the competition,” said the four-time champion. Masters 1000 here declared. “I love the country and the people of Canada. I have a lot of friends here and it always makes me feel at home. I hope to have a chance to come back to play in front of enthusiastic audiences in Montreal “.

Rogers Cup is held alternately every year in the cities of Montreal and Toronto of Canada. Djokovic has won twice at each venue, Montreal (2007, 2011) and Toronto (2012, 2016).

Last year, the Serbian player stopped in the third round after a defeat at the hands of Stefanos Tsitsipas, who then missed the chance to win his first Masters in his career (losing to Nadal in the final).

Besides the absence of the world’s top two players, Montreal’s 1000 Masters this year is not attended by Del Potro. The Argentinian is still in the process of treating kneecap injuries, after taking up the surgery table on June 22.

“We expect to see Djokovic win the third championship in Montreal but also understand why he can’t come here. We wish him a quick recovery to return to the stage. At the end of the season, Del Potro is suffering from constant injuries in the last few years, we hope he will be fit to be on the pitch, “said Rogers Cup director Eugene Lapierre.

Removing formidable rivals adds to the chance to successfully defend the championship for Rafael Nadal – the number one seed. The Spanish player is leading all time in the Masters 1000 title with 34 Cups. Nadal also equals Djokovic on the number of Rogers Cup winners (2005, 2008, 2013, 2018).