• Murray pulls out of Toronto event to recover following Wimbledon triumph
• Olympic tennis tournament in Rio takes place from 6-14 August
Andy Murray has pulled out of the Rogers Cup in Toronto next week so he can give his body time to rest before he sets out on the defence of his Olympic singles title at the Rio Games.
The two-times Wimbledon champion won his third Rogers Cup title last year in Montreal but said that after reaching the final in each of his past five events that he needed to take some time off.
“My body needs some recovery time after reaching the latter stages of tournaments over the past few months,” Murray, who is second in the world rankings, said in a statement released by Tennis Canada. “I’m sorry to my fans in Toronto but I look forward to being back in Canada next year.”
Murray’s decision marks the first time the three-times grand slam champion has skipped the Canadian event since his first appearance in 2006.
The Rogers Cup runs from 23 to 31 July and the tennis competition at the Rio Olympics will be held from 6-14 August.