World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the upcoming National Bank Open in Montreal, tournament officials announced on Friday.
The Masters 1000 event is set for Aug. 2-13 and is one of the big lead-in events prior to the U.S. Open. The other is the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.
“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 prioritize my health. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future.”
Djokovic of Serbia didn’t immediately reveal an explanation for his withdrawal.
Tournament director Valerie Tetreault wasn’t thrilled with the late withdrawals.
“We are obviously disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montreal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto,” Tetreault said in a statement. “We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority.
“That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for sport. Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world’s best compete. We are already in discussions with the ATP to ensure this matter received serious consideration.”
Sinner and Djokovic recently met in the Wimbledon semifinals with Italian star Sinner winning in three sets.
Sinner won the National Bank Open in 2023 in Toronto. Djokovic has won the event four times, most recently in 2016.
Among the players in this year’s field are defending champion Ben Shelton, homeland favorite Felix Auger-Aliassime, French Open champion Alexander Zverev of Germany and Taylor Fritz.
Zverev is now the No. 1 seed after Sinner’s withdrawal.
Main-draw play begins Aug. 2.
–Field Level Media
