World No.1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the National Bank Open in Montreal, the ATP Masters 1000 tournament that begins on August 1.
Tennis Canada confirmed the withdrawals on Friday, dealing a significant blow to the hard-court season opener in North America. The defending Wimbledon champion Sinner cited health concerns following his triumph at the All England Club earlier this month, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in a thrilling final to retain his title.
"I am disappointed not to be there, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health," Sinner said in a statement. "After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal."
The 39-year-old Djokovic, runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon in 2025 and a three-time winner of the Canadian Open (2008, 2013, 2016), has also pulled out, though his reason was not specified.
Adding to the tournament's headaches, world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz remains absent from the entry list as he continues his recovery from a right wrist injury that forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon — the first two majors he has sat out since bursting onto the scene.
The absence of the sport's three biggest draws leaves the tournament without its headline attractions for the second consecutive year, after all three also skipped the 2025 edition in Toronto when it began just two weeks after Wimbledon.
Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up, becomes the top seed in Montreal. Canada's Félix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second — the highest seeding for a Canadian in the tournament's history.
National Bank Open tournament director Valérie Tétreault expressed her frustration in a 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. We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players' health must remain the priority."
She added: "That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport. Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world's best compete."
Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz could all return to action at the Cincinnati Open, which begins immediately after the National Bank Open concludes, before the final Grand Slam of the season — the US Open — in late August.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/montreal-sinner-djokovic-2379860c09af38750e23f3d17430e622
