World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have withdrawn from next month’s ATP Montreal Masters, Tennis Canada confirmed on Friday.
Both players had extended runs at Wimbledon earlier this month, with Sinner winning the men’s singles title while Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals.
“After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal,” Sinner said in a statement. “It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritise my health.”
The ATP Masters 1000 event will run from Aug 1 to 13 and ranks among the last major tournaments before the US Open. This year, the men’s competition will be staged in Montreal, while the women’s WTA 1000 event will be held in Toronto.
Tournament organisers expressed disappointment over the late withdrawals, noting that both Sinner and Djokovic had also skipped last year’s tournament in Toronto.
“We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority,” tournament director Valerie Tetreault said. “That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport.”
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“Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world’s best compete.”
Tetreault added that Tennis Canada is in discussions with the ATP about possible changes to the calendar aimed at protecting the significance of Masters 1000 events while also managing players’ workload.
Following the withdrawals, reigning French Open champion and Wimbledon finalist Alexander Zverev is expected to take over as the top seed, with Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime seeded second.
Carlos Alcaraz had already pulled out of the Montreal Masters due to a wrist injury. The Spaniard is hoping to return at the Cincinnati Masters, which begins after the Canadian event concludes. The US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season, will begin on Aug 30 in New York.
With inputs from agencies