World number one Jannik Sinner and 24 time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the National Bank Open, tournament organizers confirmed Friday, just over a week before the event is set to begin.
Both players had initially appeared on the entry list for the ATP Masters 1000 event before their withdrawals were announced. Seven time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz was never included on the list in the first place, as he continues recovering from a wrist injury that already forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this season.
Sinner explains his decision to withdraw
Sinner, who won Wimbledon earlier this month, explained that the decision to skip Montreal came after careful consideration with his team, describing it as a difficult call but one made with his long term health as the priority. He expressed disappointment about missing such a significant event while noting he looks forward to returning to the tournament in the future.
Who steps into the spotlight in Montreal
With Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz all absent, French Open champion and Wimbledon runner up Alexander Zverev will enter as the tournament’s top seed. Canada’s own Félix Auger Aliassime will be seeded second, marking the highest seeding ever achieved by a Canadian player in the tournament’s history, a notable silver lining for the host nation given the star power missing from this year’s field.
A pattern of late withdrawals frustrates organizers
This marks the second consecutive year that all three of men’s tennis biggest draws have skipped the tournament, having also missed last year’s edition in Toronto, which took place just two weeks after Wimbledon concluded. Tournament officials had expressed hope for fewer withdrawals this year, given that the event now begins a full three weeks after the Wimbledon final, providing players additional recovery time compared to the previous schedule.
The tournament director addressed the situation publicly, expressing clear disappointment that Sinner and Djokovic would not be competing, especially given the similar absences the previous year. While acknowledging that player health must remain the top priority given the demanding nature of the professional tennis schedule, she also noted that the growing frequency of these late withdrawals raises a broader concern for the sport, pointing out that Masters 1000 events represent some of the tour’s most important tournaments and that fans reasonably expect to see the sport’s top players competing at them.
What comes next for the absent stars
Both Sinner and Djokovic are expected to return to competition at the Cincinnati Open, with that tournament’s main draw beginning the same day the National Bank Open concludes, setting up a short turnaround before the US Open later in August. Their return there will likely draw significant attention, particularly given the ongoing conversation around player scheduling and tournament commitments heading into the sport’s final Grand Slam of the season.
