Toronto Absence Could Cost Djokovic's No. 1 Bid Before US Open

| by Nurein Ahmed

Novak Djokovic will not take part in the upcoming Masters ATP 1000 tournament in Toronto, Canada.

Missing the 2023 Canadian Open is a move that could jeopardize his chances of reclaiming the world number one ranking before the US Open. Despite Djokovic being given the all-clear to travel to North America this summer, the Serbian star has tweaked his schedule in order to allow for sufficient rest time after Wimbledon. He pulled out from the Canadian Open, which begins in the second week of August, due to fatigue.

Djokovic will focus on getting ready for the Cincinnati Masters which comes after that, and will play in it in the leadup to the US Open. Djokovic is currently ranked in second place with 8,795 points - at least 580 points behind Carlos Alcaraz, who sits at the summit.

The race for the No. 1 ranking was hotting up when the entry list for the Canadian Open was released and just before Djokovic's withdrawal. With Alcaraz expected to drop a further 150 points next week (finalist in Umag in 2022), Djokovic would have needed to bridge a slender 430-point gap in Toronto.

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But that scenario will change after the conclusion of the Canadian Open. Should Alcaraz win the tournament, Djokovic will most certainly head to the US Open ranked in second place even if he wins Cincinnati. Alcaraz is also set to extend his lead in the ATP Race - which counts points earned during the current season.

The Spanish phenom has already qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, accumulating 6,675 points in 2023 so far, at least 730 more than Djokovic. The race for the year-end number one ranking will also be a hot topic to keep a close eye on in the final quarter of the regular season.

Alcaraz will be gunning for his second year-end no. 1 finish following his sensational season in 2022 in which he became the first ATP teenager to achieve that feat.

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