Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner pulling out leads to big request before the US Open
Valerie Tetrault, the director of the Canadian Open, is asking for changes to the tennis schedule after Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic decided not to play in this year’s Masters 1000 event.
The Canadian Open, happening from August 2 to 13, is usually a key warm-up before the North American hard-court tournaments, which end with the US Open. The event switches locations each year between Montreal for the men’s matches and Toronto for the women’s.
This year, the tournament has taken a hit with top players like world No. 1 Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic both saying they won’t compete. Sinner explained, “After thinking it over with my team, I made the tough choice to pull out to focus on my health. It’s disappointing to miss such an important event, but I hope to come back to Montreal soon.”
World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz will also miss the tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury but hopes to return in time for the last Grand Slam of the year starting August 30 in New York. Djokovic and Sinner also skipped the Canadian Open last year.
Top players like Alex de Minaur, Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli, and Taylor Fritz are expected to take part, with French Open champion Alexander Zverev leading the men’s draw.
After these big names pulled out, Valerie Tetrault shared a statement saying changes to the tennis schedule might be needed to avoid this happening again. She said, “We’re clearly disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be with us, especially since they missed last year too. We respect their choices and know their health comes first. But the number of last-minute withdrawals recently shows a bigger problem for tennis. Masters 1000 events are some of the biggest on tour, and fans want to see the best players. We’re already talking with the ATP about how to fix this.”
She added, “We really believe some changes should happen soon to protect the quality of our tournaments while keeping players’ needs in mind.”
After the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, another Masters 1000 event, will take place before the US Open.