Qatar Open suffers latest blow as defending champion Daniil Medvedev withdraws
ATPFriday, 16 February 2024 at 10:51
Daniil Medvedev will not defend his Qatar Open title between February 19-25 after withdrawing as his fatigue issues continue also in the latest blow to the tournament who earlier this week lost Rafael Nadal.
After Nadal withdrew due to a setback with his own injury, Medvedev and Andrey Rublev were the two top seeds involved in Doha. But that has been whittled down to just the latter with Medvedev also likely seeing ranking repercussions for this withdrawal.
Medvedev who was set to lose the World No.3 if Sinner won in Rotterdam looks all but certain to give up the spot to the Italian now as the points will now drop off his ranking due to not defending them. It also represents question marks further for Medvedev in terms of when he will return to the court.
He withdrew from Rotterdam Open this week citing that he wasn't quite ready to return after the rigours of the Australian Open and it is unsure whether he will play Dubai, another he will defend and another he is signed up for in the week after.
"Unfortunately, I am not able to defend my title in Doha this year. I am still not 100% ready to compete. I am very sorry for the tournament, the fans, and the sponsors of the event, who had always treated me so well when I was in Doha. I love playing in Doha and look forward to coming back in the future."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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