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Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic withdrew from the ATP Montreal Masters, Tennis Canada confirmed. Both cited demanding schedules after Wimbledon. Alexander Zverev is now top seed.
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic withdraw from Montreal Masters
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have withdrawn from next month’s ATP Montreal Masters, tournament organisers Tennis Canada confirmed on Friday. Both players are coming off demanding campaigns at Wimbledon earlier this month. World No. 1 Sinner clinched the men’s title, while Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, 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 Montreal event, scheduled from August 1–13, is a key ATP Masters 1000 stop in the build-up to the US Open. This year, the men’s tournament will be held in Montreal, while the parallel WTA 1000 event will take place in Toronto, with the two cities alternating hosting duties annually.
Tournament organisers expressed disappointment over the late withdrawals, noting that both Sinner and Djokovic also missed last year’s edition 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.”
“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 discussions are ongoing with the ATP regarding potential scheduling adjustments to better safeguard the prestige of Masters 1000 events while acknowledging player workload.
With the withdrawals, Alexander Zverev—the reigning French Open champion and Wimbledon finalist—is set to be the top seed, followed by Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz had already opted out of Montreal due to a lingering wrist injury and is targeting a return at the Cincinnati Masters, which begins immediately after the Canadian event.
The US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season, is set to get underway on August 30 in New York.
(With AFP Inputs)
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