Roger Federer on Friday pulled out of next week's Rogers Cup, the Associated Press reports. The tennis pro offered no explanation for his unexpected withdrawal.
Federer's withdrawl from the Rogers Cup follows three straight early tournament exits. The 31-year-old has struggled for much of the season. In all three early exits, Federer lost to low-ranked opponents.
"I am disappointed not to be playing in Montreal next week," Federer said, according to the Associated Press. "It is a great tournament with amazing fans. I look forward to competing there in the future."
Losing to 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round of the All England Club ended Federer's streak of at least reaching the quarterfinals in 36 straight major tournaments - it was also Federer's earliest exit from a Grand Slam since 2003.
Then Federer lost in the semifinals at Hamburg to 114th-ranked Federico Delbonis, a qualifier. His third straight early exit came at the Swiss Open, where he lost in the opening round to 55th-ranked Daniel Brands.
A possible reason for Federer's withdrawl could be his recurring back injury. He also began using with a larger racket in his previous three tournaments. This year has been forgettable for the tennis great, who is 30-10 with only one title. His loss at Wimbledon dropped him to No. 5 in ATP rankings, the lowest he's ranked in a decade.
He won the Rogers Cup in 2004 and 2006.
