Canadians Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil won’t play in season-opening event

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil have pulled out of the season-opening Delray Beach Open.

The ATP Tour 250 hard-court event opens Thursday.

Both players pulled out due to personal reasons, a tour spokesman said Monday in an email.

The Delray Beach tournament, which debuted in 1993, was moved up from its normal spring date this year as part of a rejigged ATP Tour schedule during the pandemic.

After the Delray Beach event and a tournament in Turkey at the same time, the tour goes on hold until the end of the month when it begins its Australian swing ahead of the Australian Open — the season’s first Grand Slam.

Pospisil, from Vancouver, was named the tour’s comeback player of the year last month. He reached two tournament finals in 2020 after undergoing back surgery in 2019.

Ranked 150th last year, Pospisil has climbed to No. 61. A former world No. 25, Pospisil was sidelined for much of 2019.

Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., also was a finalist for the comeback award. He is ranked 14th in the world.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. 

The Canadian Press