It raises serious questions about the state of the ATP Tour.
The ATP tour is once again facing questions about the unrelenting and gruelling tennis schedule, after Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper all announced their withdrawals from the upcoming Toronto Masters on Sunday. And Spanish media is reporting that Carlos Alcaraz is set to join them in skipping the $14 million event.
The Masters 1000 tournament – which serves as a traditional lead-up event to the US Open – is set to take place next week in Canada, with a total of $14m up for grabs. But the tournament will be missing some serious star power, with four of the top six players in men’s tennis opting not to play.
World No.1 Sinner has opted to rest his right elbow, which he injured on his way to winning the Wimbledon title for the first time. The Italian won the first Masters 1000 event of his career in Toronto in 2023.
Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me,” Sinner said in a statement. “But after speaking with my team, I have to recover.”
Djokovic cited a groin injury for his withdrawal, which he also suffered at Wimbledon. The World No.6 slipped on the grass at the All England Club, but was able to continue and eventually lost in the semi-finals to Sinner.
Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz also out
And World No.5 Draper will miss both Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters next month because of a problem with his left arm. It means the top-ranked British star likely won’t have any hard-court warm-up events before the US Open begins on August 24.
After Wimbledon I picked up an injury in my left arm, nothing serious, but I have to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season,” Draper posted on social media. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete in Toronto and Cincinnati…. See you in NYC!”
Later on Sunday, reports from local Spanish media stated that Alcaraz won’t play either. The World No.2 was runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon, and is reportedly prioritising rest and recovery to be fully-fit for the US Open.
Tennis fans dudded by ‘unacceptable’ scheduling
Tennis fans took to social media on Sunday amid the news about Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic and Draper not playing in Toronto. While many said they understood their decisions, there was still plenty of disappointment and frustration – particularly from fans in Toronto who’d already bought tickets.
Many pointed out that Toronto and Cincinnati have both been increased to 12-day events this year, meaning the schedule has become even more packed. With the US Open now a three-week event due to the revamped mixed doubles program, players need to be selective about when and where they play. But considering Toronto is a Masters 1000 event (the tier just below grand slams), some described it as “disastrous” and “unacceptable” for the ATP that so many top-10 players would withdraw.
“I think it is time to address the gruelling schedule athletes must maintain during the season,” one person wrote. Another added: “I hope the ATP Tour takes a long, hard look at these 2-week Masters (especially Toronto and Cincy) and figures out how to ensure the top players participate. Just because players don’t want to be in North America for 6-7 weeks (especially the European ones) doesn’t mean the Canadian fans should suffer. Completely unacceptable.”
Withdrawals open door for Alex de Minaur
However it does open up a huge opportunity for Australia’s Alex de Minaur, who’s fallen down the rankings to World No.12. De Minaur is slated to play the DC Open in Washington this week, and has a golden opportunity to climb the rankings heading into the US Open.
Because he didn’t play any lead-up events before last year’s US Open due to a hip injury, he isn’t defending any rankings points. That means any tournament he plays before the grand slam at Flushing Meadows will see him earn points.
“The whole back end of the year I’ve got very little to defend,” he said after his exit from Wimbledon in the fourth round. “It’s opportunity after opportunity for me. I’m hoping that the little bit of time off before (Wimbledon), a bit of time off after, I will put myself in a good position to finish the year strongly.”
However de Minaur has flagged being smarter about how many tournaments he plays after feeling burnt out after the French Open. How many events be plays heading into the US Open remains to be seen.
