After Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Wimbledon 2016 champion Andy Murray announced their withdrawal from the Rogers Cup, it has now emerged that women’s top seed Serena Williams will also no longer participate; suffering from a shoulder injury.
Here, we look at why it is a good idea for each of these top-ranked players to take an absence from the Masters tournament in Canada.
Serena Williams
Given that the women’s No. 1 will be headlining Team USA’s Olympic attack, it is a good move for her to sit out of the final Masters tournament before the Olympics.
Midway through what has been an incredibly successful season, Williams has made the finals of every Grand Slam this year, missing out on two finals before winning her 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2016 – thereby equalling the Open Era record set by Steffi Graf.
Although Williams has not had any tournament-threatening injuries this year, the American admitted ahead of her French Open final clash against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza that she had been suffering from ‘serious muscle strain’.
Older than most of the current competitive tennis field, Williams has also shown more fitness than nearly every other player on the Tour. Despite this, given that she is older, recovery times will be slower for the American ace, who at 34 has outhit nearly every opponent she has faced this year without breaking much of a sweat.
That side, unlike most others on the grid, Williams does not require the points to progress in the rankings, holding her top rank despite sitting out a series of what have been dubbed ‘important’ tournaments on the calendar.
Having already broken a number of records this year, Williams is also the most decorated Olympic tennis player with four titles in title – one in the singles and three in the doubles, winning each of those with her sister Venus.
The pair are defending champions in the singles and doubles respectively, having won gold at the London Olympics in 2012. With nothing to ‘prove’ on the professional tour, Williams can focus on winning laurels for her country. Given the immense form both Serena and older sister Venus have been in, with 36-year-old Venus beating injury and autoimmune disease to finish in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, a tournament she has won five times – and managing all this despite being the oldest player in the entire Wimbledon draw, male or female.
Given their high chances in Rio, it makes perfect sense that Serena would sit out the Rogers Cup.
Roger Federer
34-year-old Roger Federer is the veritable GOAT, as many often repeat. Despite having struggled with injury this year, the Swiss legend put up a mammoth fight to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon – where he is a seven-time champion – this year, and even looked like one of the top contenders for the title.
Federer came out victorious in a spirited five-set battle against Croat ace Marin Cilic, but taking a big spill midway through that match, the Swiss looked uneasy afterwards despite the eventual victory.
After the match, he would go on to say that the fall was “unlike any other fall I have had,” prompting many to wonder if this was finally proof that age had caught up with a man many have grown up watching and in many cases, perhaps worshipping.
Federer’s last Olympic gold came at the Beijing Games in 2008, when he took doubles gold with compatriot and two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who has himself not been in optimal form this year.
The Swiss Maestro won silver at London 2012, stopped in his tracks by the mammoth form of Andy Murray. Given that the Scot has been in even better form this year – winning his third Grand Slam title, it does not seem very likely that an unrested Federer will be able to stop the 29-year-old’s juggernaut.
Federer has had slow recoveries from injury this year – and at 34, having never won Olympic singles gold, this could perhaps be Federer’s last ever chance at singles gold. After being thoroughly taxed by both Marin CIlic and eventual finalist Milos Raonic this year, Federer’s back-to-back long battles will no doubt have taken their toll on him. It is unlikely that Federer will still be playing professional tennis in four years’ time, making this final chance for Olympic glory, and one he will want to be in optimal shape for.
Rafael Nadal
Spanish ace Rafael Nadal has had a mammoth clay court season in 2016, winning titles at the Monte Carlo Masters and in Barcelona and looking in fine form. Then, just as quickly as he reached his peak after years of struggles, Nadal withdrew from two Grand Slams back-to-back, missing out on both the French Open and Wimbledon with a wrist injury that has hampered his progress.
This year, Nadal also had his worst ever exit at a Grand Slam, crashing out in the first round to compatriot and Davis Cup teammate Fernando Verdasco in a five-setter that saw Verdasco emerge the mentally stronger player.
Many have argued that although Nadal has in fact struggled with injury, it is more a mental battle that the Spaniard has needed to fight, one he was on top of at the peak of his career, and one that has perhaps faltered in the 2016 season.
The 29-year-old will not have been thrilled at missing out on a chance for a 10th title at his favourite Grand Slam venue, the Stade de Roland Garros, and having already been on a long period of rest to recover from the wrist injury that has been essential to his performance, it would be advisable for Nadal to try to achieve Olympic success.
He has already won gold at the Olympics before, winning top honours in Beijing in 2008, but having struggled against opponents that he should not on paper have been taxed against, it is a good move for the Spaniard to take a breather ahead of Rio 2016.
Andy Murray
Making the finals of every single Grand Slam this year, each time with consistently strong performances, Andy Murray has been in phenomenal form, not only seriously taxing Djokovic this year but beating him in a final of a Masters – the clay-court Rome Masters – despite Djokovic’s much stronger head-to-head record, and the fact that the Serb has been by far the more successful on clay.
Murray has consolidated enough points to cement his No. 2 ranking, and with his recent Grand Slam win coming on the back of a number of strong performances, a good period of rest will be vital to the Scot. Given he has not yet struggled with major injury, he would do best to give his body enough time to be at its optimal levels of fitness ahead of the Olympic Games.
He also sat out Great Britain’s Davis Cup ties for a break.
The defending singles champion after his home win in London in 2012, Murray has looked in form good enough to be able to trump Novak Djokovic in Rio.
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