Daniil Medvedev won't play at the 2023 Citi Open in Washington next week as the Russian withdrew from the ATP 500 event.
Medvedev likes to play on hard courts, which he admitted more than once. Most of the time, the Russian enjoys North American hard courts in particular as his lone Grand Slam trophy came in New York a few years ago.
He also had a losing run to the final, but if the courts are slow, like in Indian Wells, he'll have some things to say about it. In any case, he won't be playing on the Washington variant as he pulled out of the event.
As of now, the world no. 3 in the ATP Rankings, is yet to release any kind of statement, and the event hasn't commented on the withdrawal either. The most likely cause is that he wants to enjoy some more off time before starting the North American swing, as he was recently spotted spending quality time with his family.
The Russian last played at Wimbledon, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz who ultimately won the event. It was a disappointing finish, so much so that he skipped over on the final, which he generally doesn't do. As a fan of tennis, Medvedev is one of those that doesn't mind watching the sport on top of playing it.
The Citi Open has now lost both Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov, who withdrew yesterday. It's unfortunate, but the event still has a decent entry list with Americans such as Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe leading the field.
When it comes to Medvedev, he'll likely make his return at the Canadian Open on August 7th with a participation in Cincinnati likely as well. He's had a fair amount of success during that double event in the past, so it'll be a happy return for him.