Tennis scheduling faces the same hurdle yet again. Head-to-head with a demanding and packed schedule, the issue is fairly simple to dictate, but not as simple to solve, it seems. Just last year, Iga Swiatek had called on the “people who are in charge” to fix it, while complaining that tennis authorities are “pushing and pushing for us to play more.“ The Polish star also demanded that players deserve to rest. A few months later, more voices joined in, while hardly mincing words. 

In a September 2024 interview with Punto de Break, Carlos Alcaraz admitted, “Many believe that this is a good calendar, but others think there are too many mandatory tournaments and there will probably be years with even more…Right now, there are many players injured due to the calendar and other factors, but at some point, there will be players who will have to skip tournaments because they have to take care of their bodies, families, and other aspects of life besides tennis.” He couldn’t be more right.

Notably, for the first time in tournament history, the Canadian Open will be held over 12 days this year, in accordance to the scheduling expansion plan of most ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. What that means? A reduced time gap between Wimbledon and the North American hard-court swing, leading to a mass withdrawal of sorts. From Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Jack Draper, Sebastian Korda, Hubert Hurkacz and Jordan Thompson to Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen, Ons Jabeur, and Paula Badosa among others, this year, the event is hardly star-studded. And, boy, were tennis journalist Jon Wertheim and Andy Roddick honest about the controversy.

During the July 21 episode of the Served podcast, the former player was asked what he thought of the high-profile departures. To this, Roddick responded, “It’s certainly new. We’ve added a week, but they combine them into three weeks. I do think this is one of the problems with playing every event over the course of 10-12 days…It’s easier to commit to two weeks, Cincinnati and Montreal…And when you extend the runway further into the summer away from the US Open, I think it makes it an easier ‘No’ for some of the top players that have had success recently.” Wertheim, on the other hand, said, “There are a lot of things we can’t tinker with. There are some immutable forces, right? Gravity, time, the bond market. You know, you can’t make…these players are not robots.“

He further added, “Whether or not they get fined and whether or not it get addressed up in a press release and whether or not it’s a really injury versus a bogus injury, they can’t play at the pace that you’re asking them to play. It’s just science, it’s just a force that you can’t mess with, and we can overlap these 10 and 12-day masters events,” before mentioning, “It’s an ocean away. It’s brutal conditions. If you lose early, you’re marooned in some Marriott for 12 days.”

As things stand, the journalist worries that Taylor Fritz could be the only top-five player playing in the tournament. But what do the executives have to say about this? Are players getting respite anytime soon?

In December 2024, during an interview, Andrea Gaudenzi, the Executive Chairman of the ATP Tour, stated that it’s not like football or basketball, where they are employed by a club; here, players are self-employed and hence they can decide their own schedule. “Yes, there is the ranking that makes them have to play, but it depends mainly on the big tournaments, the Grand Slams, the Masters 1000, and the ATP Finals,” he added. Having said that, he also raised a few questions on players taking part in multiple exhibitions outside the circuit.

British tennis player Dan Evans also took a jibe at the players criticising the packed schedule. He said that tennis players are quite fortunate as they can decide whether to play or not to play, and the reason they still play is to pick up their bonus pool. He explained how there are a lot of people in the world struggling for work and hence, asked his peers to be a bit more careful while harping on about the tough schedule. It’s more about managing the schedule properly, according to Evans. 

Why have players skipped the Canadian Open?

Talking about his withdrawal, Carlos Alcaraz’s fiercest rival, Sinner, who recently also clinched the Wimbledon title, said, “I’m really disappointed to be missing the National Bank Open in Toronto, especially as I have such fond memories of playing in Canada. Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me, but after speaking with my team, I have to prioritise my health…“

Sinner won the title in 2023, but last year he was knocked out of the tournament at the hands of Andrey Rublev in the QF. In a press release, he noted, “I will not be able to play in Toronto this year, I have small muscles issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada I am very sorry, I will see you next year!” Even Novak Djokovic, who was seen struggling a bit after his nasty fall during his QF match against Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon, chose to take a break ahead of the mega battle in NY (US Open). 

Jack Draper revealed that he has picked up an injury in his left arm. Although nothing serious, he said he still wants to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season.

On the women’s side, Sabalenka said in her statement: “I’m looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to skip Montreal.”  

What are your thoughts on these successive withdrawals from the Canadian Open, though?