Sinner gives up on winning every Masters 1000 in a single season, he’s out from Montreal Masters (and Djokovic too)
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have both pulled out of the National Bank Open in Montreal, reviving criticism of the Masters 1000 calendar as Sinner again opts to protect his body ahead of the US Open.
Jannik Sinner, Rome 2026 | © Foto FITP
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from next month’s National Bank Open in Montreal, the tournament confirmed by updating its entry list on social media on Friday. Neither player will appear at the Canadian Masters 1000 event, which runs from 2-13 August, leaving Alexander Zverev and home favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime to headline the field.
“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. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future.”
Sinner’s season: 44-3
Sinner’s statement cited health without specifying any injury, and he had shown no signs of physical trouble through Wimbledon, leaving the term open to interpretation as a scheduling choice rather than a genuine medical concern – a distinction that matters given ATP rules require a medical reason to withdraw from a mandatory Masters 1000 without penalty.
The world No. 1 arrives off the back of a second consecutive Wimbledon title, won by beating Djokovic in the semi-finals, and sits on a 44-3 record this season with six titles.
The decision means Sinner passes up the chance to complete the first calendar-year sweep of all nine Masters 1000 titles, having already won every clay-court edition on the way to a record sixth consecutive Masters crown before Roland-Garros. That run ended in the second round, where he led Juan Manuel Cerundolo by two sets and 5-1 before cramping in the heat and losing in five.
US Open and freshness above everything
Rather than repeat that grind through to a Grand Slam, Sinner appears to be prioritising freshness for the US Open over the records, a choice he already made last year when he also skipped the Toronto edition of this event.
Djokovic’s absence is less of a surprise. He played no tournament between Wimbledon and the US Open last year either, having said in September that he planned “no schedule other than Slams,” and has been openly critical of the extended 12-day Masters 1000 format since. The Serb, a four-time champion in Canada, has not played the event since 2018.
The double withdrawal, following Carlos Alcaraz’s earlier exit through injury, leaves the tournament without the three greatest stars of men’s tennis. Valérie Tétreault said she was “very disappointed” by the withdrawals and acknowledged that “adjustments are needed” to keep the sport’s top names in the draw. Organisers had hoped for fewer late absences this year after pushing the event back to three weeks post-Wimbledon, rather than two.
Sinner is expected to return to action at the Cincinnati Open. No clue has been given by Djokovic on the rest of his 2026 season.
