Wimbledon champion and world No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next month's US Open hard-court tune-up event in Montreal, saying he needs more rest after capturing his 16th Grand Slam singles crown. 

"I'm sorry to announce that I decided to pull out of Rogers Cup," Djokovic, the 32-year-old Serbian, who outlasted Roger Federer in an epic Wimbledon final earlier this month, said in a statement released by Tennis Canada.  

"With the support of my team, I have decided to give my body longer rest and recovery time before coming back again to play,” Djokovic added. 

Djokovic's withdrawal means Spanish star Rafael Nadal, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, will be the top seed in Montreal when main draw begins August 5.  

Nadal has captured the Canadian crown four times, most recently last year by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. 

Argentina's 12th-ranked Juan Martin Del Potro, who injured himself at Queen’s this year and has since had surgery on his right knee, will also skip the tournament. 

World No. 3 Federer said after his Wimbledon final loss that he too intended to skip Montreal. 

(With input from AFP and Reuters)