Sinner and Djokovic withdraw from the Montreal tennis tournament
Organizers of the $1 million Montreal Masters announced on Friday the withdrawal of Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic from the tournament scheduled for next month, expressing their disappointment at the late withdrawals.
Amid a congested schedule, Sinner, the world No. 1, and Djokovic, the all-time record holder in Grand Slam titles with 24, had both enjoyed strong runs at Wimbledon, the third of the four major championships, earlier this month. Sinner claimed the title, while Djokovic was eliminated in the semifinals.
Sinner said, “After careful consideration of all factors with my team, we made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal.”
He added, “It is never easy to miss an event of such importance, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health.”
The women’s tournament of the same category is being held in Toronto this year, with the two cities alternating host duties for the competitions, collectively known as the Canadian Open, on an annual basis.
Organizers expressed disappointment at the late withdrawals, noting that the players had also pulled out of last year’s edition held in Toronto.
Tournament director Valerie Tetreau said in a statement: “We respect their decisions and understand that player health must remain a priority given this grueling schedule.”
She continued, “Masters 1000 tournaments are among the most prominent events on the tour calendar, and fans have the right to expect to see the world’s best players competing.”
Tetreau said organizers are holding discussions with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) regarding “necessary adjustments in the near future to better protect the integrity of the Masters 1000 tournaments, while taking into account the realities faced by players.”
Alexander Zverev, this year’s French Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up, is now expected to be the top seed in Montreal, followed by Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, a native of Quebec province.
Earlier, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from the Montreal tournament due to a persistent wrist injury, with the aim of returning for the Cincinnati Masters 1000, which begins immediately after Montreal.
