By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, August 3, 2017
Andy Murray will miss next week's Toronto Masters, which means Rafael Nadal can regain the world No. 1 ranking by reaching the Rogers Cup semifinals.
Photo credit: Ashley Western/CameraSport
Four Grand Slam champions will be MIA from Montreal next week.
World No. 1 Andy Murray has withdrawn from next week's Masters tournament in Canada to rest the chronic hip injury that has pained him in recent weeks.
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It's the second straight year Murray will miss the Rogers Cup. He skipped the Canadian Masters last summer to prepare for the Rio Olympics where Murray successfully defended his Olympic gold medal.
“I am sad to be missing the tournament in Montreal because I have many great memories from my time in Canada," Murray said in a statement. "I am doing everything I can to return as quickly as possible.”
Murray's departure means Rafael Nadal can regain the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in three years if he reaches the Montreal semifinals.
Former US Open champion Marin Cilic has also pulled out of Montreal.
Reigning Rogers Cup champion Novak Djokovic, who has shut down his season to recovery from a right elbow injury, and reigning US Open champion Stan Wawrinka, who withdrew from Montreal and Cincinnati due to a knee injury, will also miss the tournament next week.
Empowered by his eighth Wimbledon championship, Roger Federer will play Montreal for the first time since 2011. Nadal and Federer are both vying to supplant world No. 1 Murray though the third-ranked Federer cannot regain No. 1 in Montreal.