New Delhi, August 5 (H.S.): The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has faced another setback ahead of the upcoming US Open. He has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open and will now enter the US Open directly without any preparation from hard court tournaments.

Djokovic last participated in the Wimbledon semifinals on July 11, where he lost in straight sets to Jannik Sinner. Two days before this match, Djokovic was seen falling in a “horrific” and “strange manner” during the final game of the quarterfinals, which affected his left thigh. In the semifinals, he did not appear to be fully fit and had difficulty maintaining his speed on the court. During the match, he also received treatment for his upper left leg.

Before Cincinnati, Djokovic also did not participate in the Toronto Masters, which concluded this week, citing an injury to his lower back muscles (groin injury).

Before Wimbledon, he had participated in the French Open, where he again faced defeat in the semifinals against Jannik Sinner.

Now, Djokovic will not have any practice matches on hard courts before the US Open, which begins on August 24. Djokovic has won this tournament four times, with his last title coming in 2023. That remains his most recent Grand Slam title to date.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar