BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Shanghai Masters because of a back muscle injury, delaying his return to competition.
Djokovic says he has not recovered from the injury he sustained in winning the U.S. Open. He aggravated the injury and had to stop the match while playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup semifinals last month.
Djokovic says he “did another check this week and the results are not good. I need to continue my rehabilitation.”
In mid-September, Djokovic described the injury as “a partial rupture of a back muscle that deserves rest.”
Last week, Djokovic pulled out of the China Open in Beijing. The tournament in Shanghai starts Monday.
