The tennis world has received unexpected news: two of the main stars of the men's tour, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, have officially announced their withdrawal from the ATP 1000 tournament in Montreal. The competition, traditionally considered a key stage of preparation for the US Open, has lost its main favorites.
The end of Sinner's winning streak
For the Italian Jannik Sinner, this decision was a real test. This will be the first Masters-level tournament missed in the 2026 season. Until this point, the Italian had demonstrated phenomenal form: he won all five ATP 1000 tournaments, and his winning streak in events of this category had continued since the autumn of the previous year.
In July, Sinner successfully defended his title at Wimbledon, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final. This victory became his fifth "Grand Slam" in his career. However, despite the triumph on grass, the athlete decided not to risk his health.
"After careful discussion with the team, we made the difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament in Montreal. It is always hard to miss such important competitions, but we believe this is the right step for my health. I am disappointed that I cannot play, but I hope to return to Montreal in the future," Sinner commented on the situation.
Djokovic and Alcaraz: rest and injuries
For approximately the same reason — the need for recovery — Novak Djokovic also acted. The multiple Grand Slam winner lost to Sinner in the semi-finals of Wimbledon 2026 and decided to take extra time to rest after the exhausting grass-court part of the season.
The list of absent stars was also joined by the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the world number three. Earlier, he had already refused to participate in the Canadian Masters due to a wrist injury.
A new balance of power in Montreal
The absence of top players radically changes the balance of power at the upcoming tournament. Because of this, the number one seed in Montreal will be the German Alexander Zverev, who, by the way, became the finalist of Wimbledon. The second seed will be the local favorite, the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The prestigious ATP 1000 tournament in Montreal starts on August 3. The defending champion is the American Ben Shelton, who will defend his title under conditions of a weakened field of opponents.
Recall that earlier we reported on the sensational victory of Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won an ATP tournament for the first time in 16 months, which also testifies to the high competitiveness and unpredictability of modern tennis.
