Overview
- Last Friday the National Bank Open confirmed that world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic will not play in Montreal, and both decisions were reported as final by multiple outlets.
- Sinner said he withdrew after consulting his team to prioritise his health, while Carlos Alcaraz is also ruled out as he continues wrist rehabilitation and is targeting a comeback in Cincinnati.
- Tournament director Valérie Tétreault expressed public disappointment and said organisers are in discussions with the ATP about the growing problem of late, high‑profile withdrawals.
- The exits of Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz, plus other notable pullouts such as Jack Draper and Holger Rune, have reshaped seedings and boosted the title chances of players like Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger‑Aliassime and Alex de Minaur.
- Analysts and players point to the longer 12‑day Masters format and a crowded calendar as drivers of strategic skipping, but sources say radical rule changes are unlikely and any reform would be politically and logistically difficult.