Sinner and Djokovic skip Canadian Open as tournament chief demands schedule reform

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have both pulled out of the Canadian Open, prompting the tournament director to demand systemic changes to what he described as a 'demanding schedule' for elite players. According to the BBC, the withdrawals underscore the physical toll of consecutive high-level events in the men's professional calendar. Sinner, Italy's leading player and a major contender for Grand Slam titles, has become a frequent absentee from Masters 1000 tournaments as the season intensifies.

The Italian's pattern of selective tournament play reflects a broader tension in professional tennis: the calendar's density leaves top players choosing between rest and competition at events below the Grand Slams and year-end finals. The BBC's reporting suggests the Canadian Open director views the schedule itself as the culprit, not the players' commitment. This argument carries weight in a sport where injury prevention and peak performance at the four majors often override secondary tournament participation.

Sinner's withdrawal is particularly significant for Italian tennis. At 22, he has climbed to the sport's highest ranks partly through rigorous tournament selection and injury management—a strategy that has yielded results at the Australian Open and other majors but leaves lower-ranked Masters 1000 events, including Canada, vulnerable to his absence. The world's top players increasingly treat the calendar as something to be managed rather than navigated, a shift that challenges tournament organisers outside the elite tier.

The Canadian Open director's call for reform aligns with longstanding complaints from players' representatives about the density of the professional schedule. Djokovic's withdrawal, at 39, suggests the issue transcends age or career stage. The BBC report does not specify what changes the tournament chief proposes, but the underlying complaint—that players face an unsustainable calendar—has echoed through tennis administration for years. Whether the ATP, WTA or the four Grand Slam tournaments will respond remains unclear, but Sinner's continued absence from events like Canada signals that top players will continue to choose their schedule rather than comply with it.