World number one Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the Canadian Open, the Masters 1000 event scheduled for August 2-13 in Montreal. Their absence — compounded by Carlos Alcaraz's ongoing recovery from a wrist injury — has prompted the tournament's director to call for sweeping changes to the professional tennis calendar.
Sinner, who claimed the Wimbledon title earlier this month after beating Alexander Zverev in the final, said he was stepping back from the ATP tournament to prioritise his health. It is the second consecutive year that both Sinner and Djokovic have pulled out of the Canadian event, after withdrawing from last year's edition in Toronto.
Tournament director Valerie Tetreault expressed her disappointment in a strongly worded statement. "We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won't be joining us in Montreal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year's tournament in Toronto," she said. "The frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport."
