Roger Federer has withdrawn from Cincinnati, the tournament announced earlier today.
“I am very sorry to pull out of the Western & Southern Open as I always enjoy playing here,” Federer said. “Cincinnati has some of the best fans in the world and I am sorry I will miss them. Unfortunately, I tweaked my back in Montreal and I need to rest this week.”
The 7-time Cincinnati champion was in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking, but will now be a No. 3 seed at the US Open behind Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
Federer was visibly in distress yesterday in the second set against Alexander Zverev int he Candian Open final.
Afterward, Federer hinted this withdrawal was coming.
I’ll travel to Cincinnati tonight, then take a decision in the next couple of days and see how I feel after five days of playing if I’m ready to play in Cincy next week or not,” Federer said.
“Felt all right all week. Had a bit of muscle pain, aches and pains here and there, just because it’s back on the match courts, on the hard courts. After vacation and practice, it’s always a bit of a shock for the body.
“We’ll have to wait and see now how I feel in the next couple of days.”
Federer, who missed last year’s event, joins Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic on the sidelines of the event. His withdrawal leaves just 4 of the Top 10 in attendance.
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