Tennis fans will buy tickets well in advance of a tournament in hopes of seeing some excellent matches months down the road. It's a gamble as one's favorite player might get injured and miss the tournament. But what is happening with the 2025 Canadian Open in Toronto is just a shame.
Let's not forget, too, that the Canadian Open is a Masters event. A player can earn 1,000 points by winning, and that is going to make a dent in the rankings. Seemingly, though, many ATP players do not care so much about the points, but just want to get healthy.
The players pulling out of the Toronto Masters in the last few days are a who's who at the top of the current rankings, but the players have a combined 33 Grand Slam titles, too. 2025 Wimbledon champion? He's out. So is his final opponent, Carlos Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all skipping the Canadian Open
Novak Djokovic won't be playing in Canada either. Neither will ATP No. 5 Jack Draper.
The reasons for all the players seem more legit than just the usual excuses, however. Sinner injured his right elbow in the fourth round at Wimbledon, though that clearly was not too much of a hindrance as he went on to win the grass-court major for the first time.
Djokovic took a nasty fall in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and there were some who questioned whether he would be healthy enough to play Sinner in the semifinals. The Serb did, but he was clearly affected by the new injury.
Alcaraz said he was suffering from some "small muscle" concerns, and needed to rest. He accidentally took a swipe at the Canadian Open, however, when he said he needed to miss the tournament to prepare for "what comes next." What is likely next is the Cincinnati Masters.
Jack Draper said on social media that he is skipping Toronto after injuring his left arm (Draper is left-handed) after Wimbledon. He said the issue was minor, but not worth risking further harm before the US Open. Draper is missing the Cincinnati Masters for the same reason, but, so far, plans on playing in New York.