Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic announced on July 24 that they would withdraw from the Montreal Masters tennis tournament set for August 1 to 13, 2026, citing health priorities [1, 2, 3]. Sinner, 24, who won the Wimbledon men's singles title in July by defeating Alexander Zverev in four sets, said the decision was difficult but necessary to prioritize his well-being. "After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montréal. It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health," Sinner stated [1]. Djokovic, who holds 24 Grand Slam titles and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals this year before losing to Sinner, also withdrew [1, 2, 3].
Carlos Alcaraz, another leading player with seven Grand Slam titles, was already ruled out of the Montreal event due to a wrist injury [1, 2, 3]. With Sinner and Djokovic absent, world number two Alexander Zverev and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime are expected to be the top seeds at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, a key warm-up for the US Open scheduled from August 30 to September 13, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
Tournament director Tetreault expressed disappointment at the late withdrawals but acknowledged the physical demands on players. "We respect their decisions and understand that player health must always come first in such an intense schedule," Tetreault said. He added that the recent trend of last-minute withdrawals indicates broader challenges within tennis. He stated that organizers are consulting the ATP on possible adjustments "to better safeguard the integrity and dignity of the Masters events while taking players' conditions into account" [3].
The Montreal Masters, one of the flagship events on the ATP Tour, will proceed without some of its biggest stars, with fans looking toward Zverev and Auger-Aliassime as the headline players. The US Open next month remains the next major event for many players.
The tournament runs until August 13, maintaining its place as a critical stop on the men's tennis calendar ahead of the US Open [1, 3].
