Novak Djokovic’s quest for a 25th Grand Slam title just got a lot harder. The tennis legend has pulled out of the 2025 Cincinnati Open, dealing another blow to his US Open preparations.
This is pretty frustrating for Djokovic fans. He’s been chasing that historic 25th major for two years now, ever since he won the US Open back in 2023.
Since then? Seven Grand Slams without a single title.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 38 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
The 38-year-old Serbian star had already skipped the Canadian Open earlier this month, just like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. But here’s the thing – Sinner’s already back practicing in Cincinnati, clearly getting ready to compete again.
Djokovic? Not so much.
The Cincinnati Open runs from August 7th to 18th. It’s the last big warmup tournament before the US Open, and now Djokovic won’t be there. That’s a pretty big deal when you consider he’s won the tournament three times, including as recently as 2023.
What’s really going on here?
Djokovic hasn’t said anything official about why he’s pulling out. But if you’ve been watching tennis lately, you probably noticed he seemed to be dealing with some physical issues at Wimbledon.
The guy’s 38 years old and has been playing professional tennis for over two decades. His body’s probably telling him to be smart about picking his spots.
Last year, he also skipped Cincinnati. Then came the US Open, where he got knocked out in the third round – pretty shocking for someone of his caliber.
This time around, he’s clearly prioritizing being 100% ready for Flushing Meadows.
Could he still play before the US Open?
There’s one more option on the table. The Winston-Salem Open runs from August 17th to 23rd, but let’s be honest – Djokovic probably won’t go there.
It’s an ATP 250 event, which is way below his usual level. Players like Arthur Fils, Sebastian Korda, and Alex Michelsen will be there, but for someone trying to win Grand Slams, it doesn’t make much sense.
Why risk injury or fatigue in a smaller tournament when you’re gunning for major title number 25?
The big picture
Djokovic isn’t the only big name missing from Cincinnati. Jack Draper pulled out too, along with Matteo Berrettini and Alexander Bublik. Grigor Dimitrov, Sebastian Korda, Jenson Brooksby, Hubert Hurkacz, and Laslo Djere are also out.
That’s a lot of star power missing from what’s supposed to be one of the biggest tournaments before the US Open.
For Djokovic, it means he’ll likely head into the US Open without playing any matches on hard courts beforehand. It’s a risky strategy, but maybe that’s exactly what his body needs right now.
The question is whether showing up fresh but without match practice will help or hurt his chances of making tennis history in New York.
