Last year, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev shifted past the threatening comebacks of Andy Murray, defeating the superstar 6-4, 6-4 at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. 

Famed star Daniil Medvedev will be unable to defend his title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2024 after the tournament announced he had withdrawn from the court, putting a question on who will conquer the contest.

In a statement, the 20-time tour-level champion broke the news of his absence, saying: “Unfortunately, I am not able to defend my title in Doha this year. I am still not 100% ready to compete.”

“I am very sorry for the tournament, the fans, and the sponsors of the event who have always treated me so well when I was in Doha. I love playing in Doha and look forward to coming back in the future,” the current world number 3 star said.

The news came after tennis superstar Rafael Nadal announced that he would not participate in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open as he was still injured.

According to a statement released by QatarTennis, the 37-year-old Spanish player said he was looking forward to competing in the tournament but he was unfortunately not ready.

“I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans, have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately, I am yet not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014,” Nadal said.

The tile can be cast by star favourites Andrey Rublev and Andy Murray.

Rublev is the world’s number 5 and is a former champion in Qatar, where he lifted the trophy in 2020.

Murray has 24 wins in Doha and lost last year in a knee-jerking one-hour, 47-minute match, leaving Medvedev to claim his first title.

“I’m proud of the results that I’m having,” said Murray after his defeat.

“I felt okay physically, after some of the long rallies… physically
considering everything, I was quite happy about how I felt,” Murray added.