ATP asked to enforce big rule change so Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic can play at the Canadian Open
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has been encouraged to make a big change that might let Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner play in the Canadian Open after they recently said they wouldn’t join.
A few players, like Sinner, Djokovic, Alexander Bublik, and Sebastian Korda, have already said they won’t be part of the Masters 1000 event, which starts on August 1 and goes until August 13.
The tournament is split between Montreal, where the men play, and Toronto, where the women compete. The locations switch each year.
Last week, world No.1 Sinner shared that he made the “tough decision” to pull out to focus on his health.
World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz is also skipping the tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury, hoping to be ready for the US Open later this year.
Former player and now broadcaster Andrea Petkovic thinks many players are skipping because the ATP Tour is getting longer. From 2025, Masters events will stretch from seven to twelve days.
On the Big T Podcast, she said, “I think it’s not just the timing in the calendar, but the men play three to four weeks longer than the women. Women finish their season in early November, which is already very long compared to other sports.
“No sport has a schedule without at least a six or eight-week break. Tennis often doesn’t have that. Players have to squeeze in their vacation and prepare for the next season.
“For men, the season is even longer, so they need to manage their energy. Two-week events back-to-back, like Cincinnati and Montreal, are just too much. Top players like Jannik and Novak probably wonder, ‘Where are the players I need to face to check my form before the US Open?’”
The Cincinnati Open happens from August 13 to 23, and Djokovic has already said he will play there.
Petkovic added, “That’s Cincinnati. They have to pick. It’s a shame for Canada because it’s a wonderful place. Montreal has always been one of my favorite stops.
“I loved going there. But the men’s schedule is more packed than the women’s. That’s why women go, and men often decide not to.”
The ATP Tour ends with the Davis Cup Finals in late November, while the WTA Tour finishes with the WTA Finals at Indian Wells from November 8 to 15.