Overview
- The Canadian Open finished Sunday with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz all absent, leaving the Masters 1000 event without its three biggest stars.
- Tournament director Valérie Tétreault met an ATP executive during the event and said organisers were advised to write to the ATP board to press for change.
- Organisers and several top players blame the expanded two-week Masters format — which increased draws to 96 players and lengthened events to about 12 days — for tighter recovery windows and more late withdrawals.
- Tétreault warned that repeated high-profile absences are damaging the Canadian Open’s competitiveness and fan experience and could hurt ticket sales and sponsorship over time.
- No formal rule changes have been announced and the ATP plans to discuss the issue at US Open meetings and in planning for 2028, so the dispute now moves from public criticism to governance talks.