Tennis Canada announced on Monday that Novak Djokovic, the second-ranked player in the world, withdrew from the ATP Canadian Open tournament that will take place in Montreal the following week.

Rafael Nadal of Spain was defeated by the Serbian player who has won 24 Grand Slam titles. This victory allowed the Serbian player to go to the third round of the Paris Olympics.

Despite the fact that Djokovic, who is 37 years old and has won 98 ATP titles in his career, will not be participating in the hardcourt tune-up event for the US Open, which will begin on August 26.

“While we are disappointed that Novak will not be able to participate in this year’s tournament, we understand his decision and wish him the best of luck at the Olympics and for the rest of his season,” said Valerie Tetreault, the director of the tournament.

Roman Safiullin, a Russian player who is rated 66th in the world and is 26 years old, will be able to secure a berth in the main draw as a result of Djokovic’s withdrawal.

Due to the Olympic Games, the program in Montreal was altered from its typical Monday-Sunday structure. The main draw action began on Tuesday, August 6, and it was scheduled to conclude on Monday, August 12.