Jannik Sinner: The former world No. 1 expects more withdrawals
Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal from Montreal has sparked debate among experts and fans: The Italian has decided to set aside his dream of winning all nine Masters 1000 tournaments in a calendar year in order to fully recover from the exertions of Wimbledon and focus on the U.S. Open and his sixth career Grand Slam title. Mindful of his physical collapse at Roland Garros, the world No. 1 didn’t want to take any chances.
Andy Roddick, speaking on his podcast, commented on Sinner’s decision, revealing some behind-the-scenes details: “I saw Jannik after his win at Wimbledon and asked him, ‘What’s the next step?’ And he replied, ‘A little rest.’ I can’t just come here and say, ‘You know, he says this, so I think he’ll skip Canada.’ But in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Okay, that means he’ll skip Canada.’”
According to the former world No. 1, Sinner will skip other major tournaments in the latter part of the season and even next year, as he’ll prioritize the Grand Slams: “For example, in 2027 he might skip some clay-court tournaments to get back in shape and prioritize his physical condition for Roland Garros. It’s much easier to decide to skip something when it’s a two-week commitment.”
Sinner’s withdrawal isn’t the only notable one at the Canadian tournament, however: Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz—who is still recovering from a wrist injury—have also withdrawn. This situation prompted Valérie Tétreault, the tournament director, to speak out rather sharply: “We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montréal this year, especially since they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto. We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, the players’ health must remain the priority. That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in recent years raises a broader issue for our sport. The Masters 1000 tournaments are among the most important on the circuit, and fans rightly expect to see the world’s best players compete.”
There was no shortage of critical voices from the world of sports journalism. Simone Eterno of Eurosport harshly criticized the South Tyrolean’s decision: “If I were in Sinner’s shoes, given how the season had unfolded, I would have gone to Montreal to try to make history, to try to win all the Masters 1000 tournaments. Instead, we have to acknowledge that Sinner is an anti-hero.” New York Times journalist Ben Rothenberg echoed this sentiment, writing on X: “Sinner turned his back on history by saying goodbye to the chance to win nine Masters 1000 titles in a single year. The hardest part had already been done; he’s in excellent form, yet he decided not to compete”. Fans, however, responded en masse in defense of the Italian, pointing out, among other things, that it was precisely the pursuit of the Masters 1000 record that had cost Sinner a Roland Garros title.
