Toronto (AP): Novak Djokovic withdrew from the National Bank Open, opting for additional rest after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Tennis Canada announced on Sunday that Djokovic pulled out of the only Canadian stop on the ATP Tour schedule due to fatigue. The 36-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion was set to begin his hard-court preparations for the U.S. Open after falling to the top-ranked Alcaraz last Sunday in a five-set final at Wimbledon.
"I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take," said Djokovic, who has won the National Bank Open four times.
"I would like to thank Karl Hale, the tournament director, for understanding this decision. I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there."
American Christopher Eubanks will gain automatic entry into the main draw as Djokovic's replacement. Eubanks is fresh off a surprising quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, where he beat No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 12 seed Cam Norrie en route to the final eight.
"Of course, we're disappointed that Novak won't be playing at the National Bank Open this year," Hale said. "He's an incredible player and one we know our fans were eager to watch at Sobeys Stadium.
"He will be missed but we still have a long list of sensational players confirmed for this year's event, including 41 of the top 42 players in the world."
Toronto's Sobeys Stadium will host the men's side of the national tennis championship from Aug. 3 to Aug. 13. The women's side will be at Montreal's IGA Stadium at the same time.
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Dharwad (Karnataka) (PTI): A college student allegedly died by suicide here, following which three policemen were suspended over allegations of harassment linked to his death by the victim's family.
Aditya Myageri, a BSc student at a private college here, was among 18 students detained by the Vidyagiri police on April 25 during an anti-drug drive, police said on Wednesday.
He hailed from Belur village in Bagalkot district, but was staying with his friends at a rented accommodation in Girinagar area of Dharwad city, police said.
Among the 18 students tested, Aditya was among the 10 who had tested negative for ganja consumption and was subsequently released.
Some of his roommates, however, tested positive.
According to police, Aditya's family alleged that despite testing negative, he was harassed by police. They also claimed some policemen demanded Rs 2,000 to settle the matter and threatened legal action if he failed to pay.
He had called his mother asking for money, but she could not arrange it immediately, the family claimed.
On Monday night, Aditya allegedly died by suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan at his rented accommodation, with his family alleging police harassment and pressure over demand for money drove him to the extreme step, a senior police officer said.
Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar told PTI that an unnatural death case has been registered at Vidyagiri police station. Three policemen have been suspended over the allegations, and further investigation is underway.
