Tennis Canada – Montreal, July 25, 2019 – Tennis Canada announced on Thursday that the World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, no. 12, have withdrawn from the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal.

After a physically demanding run at Wimbledon where he won his 16th Grand Slam title in a closely fought battle against Roger Federer in the final, Djokovic will require more time to recover before beginning his hard court season.

“I’m sorry to announce that I decided to pull out of Rogers Cup. With the support of my team, I have decided to give my body longer rest and recovery time before coming back again to play. I love Canada and I have many friends there that always make me feel like I’m at home and I’m looking forward to coming back again to play in front of all of you in Montreal.”

Djokovic has had a lot of success in Canada, having won the Rogers Cup title four times, two of which were in Montreal (2007 and 2011) and two in Toronto (2012 and 2016). Last year, in Toronto, he fell in the third round to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

As for del Potro, he injured himself at the tournament in Queen’s during a match against Denis Shapovalov earlier this year. Since then, he underwent surgery on the patella of his right knee and has begun his rehabilitation.

“We would have loved for Djokovic to have the chance to be crowned champion for a third time in Montreal, but we understand his decision and we wish him a quick return for the rest of the season,” stated Eugène Lapierre, Tournament Director of the Rogers Cup in Montreal. “In del Potro’s case, we wish him a speedy recovery, he who has experienced his share of injuries in the past few years. We look forward to seeing him back on court in the near future.”

Following Djokovic’s withdrawal, Rafael Nadal of Spain will be the tournament’s top seed. Nadal will begin his preparations in Montreal starting on Friday, August 2 on the practice courts at IGA Stadium.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan will take the two available spots in the main draw.

This summer, Montreal will host the very best in men’s tennis during the ATP Masters 1000 event. In addition to the on-court action, the tournament will feature a variety of activities for all, including the IGA Family Weekend, which will take place from August 2 to 4.

Tickets are on sale online at  www.couperogers.com or by calling 1-855-TENNIS-0 (1-855-836-6470), extension 1.
 
About Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 139th anniversary of the men’s event from August 2-11, 2019 at IGA Stadium in Montreal and its 127th anniversary of the women’s event from August 3-11, 2019 at Aviva Centre in Toronto. As a WTA Premier 5 tournament, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, and US Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the US Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.
 
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, 9 professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports 13 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 

 
Media Contacts:
 
Valerie Tetreault, Director, Communications
        vtetreault@tenniscanada.com or 514-273-1515 ext. 6259
        
Victoria Jaklin, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
        vjaklin@tenniscanada.com or 514-273-1515 ext. 6291