Federer pulls out of Cincinnati, Nadal will be new world No. 1

CINCINNATI. KAZINFORM Swiss great Roger Federer pulled out of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday due to back problems, making Spain's Rafael Nadal the world No. 1 when the rankings come out on Aug. 21 regardless of how far he advances at the event, EFE reports.

"I am very sorry to pull out of the Western & Southern Open as I always enjoy playing here," Federer said in a statement.

Britain's Andy Murray, the current world No. 1, also decided to skip the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.

On Sunday, German rising star Alexander Zverev handed Federer a rare loss in the 2017 season, rolling to a 6-3, 6-4 win over the Swiss star in the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

"Cincinnati has some of the best fans in the world and I am sorry I will miss them. Unfortunately, I tweaked my back in Montreal and I need to rest this week," Federer, a seven-time champion at the Western & Southern Open, said.

The 36-year-old Federer, winner of a record 19 Grand Slam titles, has turned back the clock in 2017 with major titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Nadal, who has 15 Grand Slam singles titles under his belt and won his record 10th French Open title on June 11, will be the top-ranked player in the world for the first time since July 2014.

The 31-year-old Nadal will be the top seed in Cincinnati, which started on Sunday and is one of the key tune-up events for the US Open, which begins on Aug. 28.

Photo: AP/The Canadian Press: Paul Chiasson.