Exhausted Daniil Medvedev out of Rotterdam as right foot needs more recovery time

Daniil Medvedev needs more time to recover from spending a record 24 hours and 17 minutes on court at the season’s first major.

The world No. 3 has pulled out from next week’s ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, with fatigue cited as one of the reasons why he won’t attempt to retain his title.

“After an incredibly tough and long run in Australia my body (and especially my right foot) is not recovered enough yet to play come and defend my title,” the 2021 US Open champion said in a statement.

“I love playing in Rotterdam, have a long history with the event, and look forward to coming back in 2025.”

Medvedev played four five-set matches at the Australian Open, where he was six points away from clinching a second major trophy. Jannik Sinner ultimately rallied from two sets down to capture his maiden Grand Slam title in defeating his rival for the fourth consecutive time.

“It's not easy for the body, but at least I feel like I have no injuries. Some blisters, which is unfortunate, which is rare for me, but whatever, it's going to go away,” Medvedev told press at the time.

Sinner, who previously withdrew from this week’s 250-level event in Marseille, is now due to be the No. 1 seed in Rotterdam. The 22-year-old is coming off a busy celebration tour in Italy that included taking his Australian Open crown to the Colosseum and reuniting with his 2023 Davis Cup champion teammates for a special ceremony led by Italian president Sergio Mattarella.

Last year, Medvedev defeated Sinner in Rotterdam’s ABN AMRO Open final. It was the first of three consecutive trophies won by Medvedev, as he ran up a 19-match win streak until falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final.