The ATP 500 Citi Open is held in Washington DC every year, during the summer hard court season. Juan Martin Del Potro, Tomas Berdych and Nick Kyrgios have all withdrawn from the tournament, citing various reasons.
Del Potro withdraws due to wrist injury
Juan Martin Del Potro recently came back from a long hiatus due to multiple wrist surgeries and pulled out a huge upset after defeating Stan Wawrinka in the second round of Wimbledon. The Argentine is a three-time former champion in Washington, holding the trophy in 2008, 2009 and 2013. The 2009 US Open Champion stated, “I am very disappointed I will not be able to compete for my fans in DC. I have had many special moments at this event. However, this has not been a typical year for me. While rehab has progressed well in the last few months, I need to be careful not to push the wrist too hard until it is fully strengthened.”
Berdych too tired to play
Tomas Berdych made a deep run into the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to eventual champion Andy Murray. Berdych has had a successful year in the majors, reaching the quarterfinals at both the Australian Open and French Open. Due to fatigue, the Czech has decided to withdraw from the Citi Open.
Kyrgios pulls out with hip injury
Nick Kyrgios also fell to Murray at Wimbledon, in the round of 16. He is withdrawing due to a hip injury that he sustained while playing on the grass. He recently stated that he does not like tennis.
The withdrawals of these top players has resulted in a much weaker field at the tournament. However the tournament director Jeff Newman remains optimistic, "These are great players who we obviously would have liked to see compete in the tournament for our fans,” said Jeff Newman, tournament director. “We respect that their health is first priority and hope that they would be back on court very soon. Our player fields are great and we look forward to an amazing week of tennis.”