MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 30: Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia shakes hands with Jannik Sinner (R) of Italy after his victory in the Men’s Singles Semifinal during day 13 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the upcoming National Bank Open in Montreal in what is being called an “absolute disaster” for men’s tennis.
The ATP Masters 1000 event runs Aug. 1-13 and is traditionally the second-biggest warm-up behind the Cincinnati Open for the U.S. Open later this summer.
Sinner and Djokovic both withdrew in the wake of the new M1000 format at the ATP Masters 1000 events which extended Canada and Cincinnati to 12-day events as of last year. Madrid, Rome, and Shanghai all went to that format in 2023.
“An absolute disaster for Montreal that Sinner, [Carlos] Alcaraz and Djokovic are all out for this year,” the @TennisConnected site posted on X/Twitter. “What is the point of a two-week Masters in Canada if none of the top players play?
Jon Wertheim of Tennis Channel called the M1000 innovation a “fail[ure] and said it was time to ”cut bait.”
“This is an excellent event in an excellent city, that supports tennis. Montreal deserves better….,” he added.
Sinner, 25, won the first five Masters 1000 events of 2026, including two on hardcourts (Indian Wells and Miami) and three on clay (Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome).
But he then crashed out early at Roland Garros due to cramping issues amid criticism that he had played too many events leading into Paris.
“This spring ~ the last time Sinner jammed in m1000s ~ he gassed out at the subsequent Major (RG),” Wertheim wrote.
Sinner rebounded to win Wimbledon, dominating Djokovic in the semis and topping Alexander Zverev in the final.
The withdrawals are a major loss for Montreal, while tennis fans can look forward to Sinner, Djokovic, Alcaraz and Zverev all playing in Cincinnati next month.
Alcaraz will be playing his first event since he stepped away from the tour after Barcelona in April due to a right wrist injury.
After the Cincinnati Open (Aug. 13-23), the U.S. Open runs Aug. 30-Sept. 13.