Defending Champion Daniil Medvedev Withdraws From Rotterdam Open

| by Zachary Wimer

Daniil Medvedev, who is the defending champion at the Rotterdam Open, won't be playing at the ATP 500 event next week as he withdrew from the tournament.

The last time Medvedev stood on a tennis court was in Melbourne, battling Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final. He played great for two sets, but then it was time for the Italian to take over.

He did and ended up as the champion, winning in five sets, which was a huge disappointment for the Russian. It was the second time he lost a 2-0 lead in the Australian Open final.

Speaking after the final, Medvedev suggested that he may skip some of the tournaments in February, and now we know which one it will be, and it was quite an interesting choice, as he's the defending champion in Rotterdam, but he won't be back there this year.

Interestingly, he beat Jannik Sinner in the final last year, and now we may not see either in the Dutch city. The run in Australia was a pretty brutal one, as he played a lot of tennis.

He actually broke the record for most sets played at a Grand Slam event, and that's a level of exertion that requires a good amount of rest.

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"Unfortunately I have to pull out of Rotterdam. After an incredibly tough and long run in Australia my body (and especially my right foot) is not recovered enough yet to play come and defend my title."

Some other reasons that likely contributed to his decision are the upcoming events held in the Middle East. He was amazing last year, winning both in Doha and Dubai, and should play in both of those events this year as well.

Playing all three like last year seemed a bit too much for the Russian, but despite withdrawing from the Rotterdam Open, he plans to return to the city in 2025.

"I love playing in Rotterdam, have a long history with the event, and look forward to coming back in 2025."

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