"It's sad that Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Sinner aren't participating," Hale said as the tournament neared its final matches, with Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz as the top contenders. "I will discuss with the ATP Tour director to improve the situation. The 12-day tournament format has somewhat influenced the players' decisions. But we are satisfied with this model."

Since last season, the ATP has scheduled Masters 1000 events over two weeks, instead of one. This has led many players to consider reducing their participation in events to maintain their physical condition. Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Sinner all skipped Montreal last week, taking time to recover after Wimbledon.

Canadian open director Karl Hale on Centre Court in Toronto last week. Photo: Reuters

Canadian open director Karl Hale on Centre Court in Toronto last week. Photo: Reuters

According to Hale, the absence of the three strongest players has affected ticket sales. But he was pleased that tickets were still sold out on the Sunday of the first week. This is a sign that the tournament's appeal has not diminished to an alarming level.

"Attendance is higher than in 2023, and we hope to break the record when the final takes place this week," Hale said. "I don't support the idea that the players are tired of the current schedule. We will talk to them to improve the schedule and do what's best."

For months, the Canadian Open's media campaign has been heavily promoting the new format implemented by the ATP in 2025 at seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments. Except for the two tournaments in Monte-Carlo and Paris-Bercy, which remain unchanged, the new format extends the playing time to 12 days instead of the previous 8. The draw has also been expanded to 96 players from 56, along with a series of side events inspired by the Australian Open's economic model at Melbourne Park: concerts, DJs, interactive games, and continuous entertainment activities.

Hale said the goal of the change is to grow the sport by focusing on both on-court and off-court activities, with more matches, more sessions, and more opportunities for fans to see the world's top players.

However, in reality, there were only 14 days of rest between the Wimbledon final and the first round of the Canadian Open, 8 days shorter than in 2023 and 15 days shorter than in 2022. In 2024, the schedule was affected by the Olympics. "This time gap is a big issue because it forces top players to arrive in North America a week earlier, after having slogged it out on clay and grass courts, continuously at high intensity," former world number one Andy Roddick expressed concern before the tournament. "At some point, players need time to recharge. I'm sure after three months of continuous competition, they're all having some issues."

While the ATP continues to praise the new, longer Masters 1000 format, claiming it "benefits players with more rest time between rounds," most players seem to disagree. "I prefer the one-week Masters 1000 format, even though it's more demanding. It's much better for tennis," Alcaraz frankly shared earlier this year. "They say we have extra days off, but when you're in a tournament, you have to be away from home, and you don't really get mental rest between matches because you still have to train and prepare constantly."

The only positive aspect of this "hybrid" format is that in Canada, qualifying consists of only a single round, with 16 spots in the main draw and a significantly expanded ranking threshold. For example, the last player to qualify, James Trotter of Japan, is ranked 198th in the ATP.

However, with his usual frankness, Adrian Mannarino – who also qualified after just one match – was much less enthusiastic: "12 days is too long, especially when you're in Toronto, a city that's not really attractive. Moreover, we're not even staying in the city center but in a place that's a bit like the suburbs."

He added, "This reform has been passed, but no one asked my opinion, and even the players on the Tennis Council said they weren't consulted. It would make more sense to conduct a survey, but personally I haven't heard any players say they support this new format."

Many other big names in the ATP have also complained about the new schedule. They argue that if the Masters 1000 took place over one week, the players would be in better shape for subsequent tournaments. This week, Tsitsipas and Medvedev were eliminated early and then said they felt tired.

Djokovic continues to withdraw, while Alcaraz and Sinner are expected to return at the Cincinnati Masters next week. This is the last major event before the US Open – the final Grand Slam of the year. Last year Djokovic did not participate, Alcaraz was eliminated in the second round, and Sinner won the championship. The previous year, the tournament witnessed a classic final considered one of the best in history when Djokovic defeated Alcaraz after three tense sets.

Vy Anh - Phuong Ha