February 16, (THEWILL) – Daniil Medvedev has announced that he will be unable to defend his Qatar Open title next week, as he continues to struggle with a foot injury that has impeded his return to full fitness. The 2024 event is scheduled to take place in Doha from February 19 – February 24.
The Russian star, winner of the 2021 US Open, has not played competitively since his defeat in the final of last month’s Australian Open to Italian rising star Jannik Sinner. Medvedev also recently withdrew at the last minute from the ongoing ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam, citing both the lingering foot problem and general fatigue.
In a statement on Instagram, Medvedev expressed his disappointment at missing the Qatar Open, a tournament which he has previously spoken very fondly of. “Unfortunately, I am not able to defend my title in Doha this year. I am very sorry for the tournament, the fans and the sponsors of the event, who have always treated me so well when I was in Doha. I love playing in Doha and look forward to coming back in the future”, he remarked.
Tennis fans were expecting to see Medvedev face off against British former world number one Andy Murray in a rematch of last year’s final, which the Russian won in straight sets. However, with the withdrawal, Murray’s chances of claiming his first ATP title since 2019 now look stronger.
Medvedev joins 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in pulling out, as the legendary Spaniard also continues to be plagued by long-running injury issues. The Qatar Open is an ATP 250-level event and will still feature a highly competitive player field when it gets underway next week.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
