World number one Sinner, who recently defeated Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final in early July to claim his sixth career Grand Slam, decided to skip the Canada Open for health reasons and to allow for more rest.

"It is never easy to miss such an important tournament, but we believe prioritizing health is the right decision", Sinner stated in a press release on 25/7. "I am disappointed not to be able to compete and hope to return to Montreal soon in the future".

By withdrawing from the Canadian tournament, Sinner also ended his dream of achieving a Calendar Masters, which means winning all nine Masters events in a year. Previously, the Italian player had won all five Masters 1000 events earlier this year: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome, and Madrid.

Sinner (left) shakes hands with Djokovic after the Wimbledon final on Centre Court, All England Club, London, England on 12/7. Photo: Reuters

Djokovic's absence comes as no surprise. At age 39, the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles is increasingly selective about which tournaments he enters, rather than competing in a packed schedule. Since the start of the year, Djokovic has only played two tournaments outside of Grand Slams: Indian Wells and the Rome Masters.

Indian Wells, Rome, and the Canada Open are all Masters 1000 events. However, for both Djokovic and Sinner, skipping a few Masters events is not a significant issue. If they need a quality tournament as a tune-up for the US Open, both still have the Cincinnati Masters, which takes place in mid-August.

This is one reason the Canada Open struggles to attract top stars. Additionally, the extension of the Masters 1000 in Canada to 12 days makes the already dense tennis calendar even more congested, increasing the risk of player withdrawals.

This year's Canada Open begins on 2/8 in Montreal. Last season, the tournament took place closer to Wimbledon, just two weeks after the grass-court Grand Slam. This year, the gap has been extended to three weeks. Despite this, the tournament still faces the absence of many major names. Last year, women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka and four top 10 ATP stars did not participate.

The Masters 1000 format, extended to 12 days, has long been unpopular with players. Many argue that it overloads the schedule and makes recovery difficult.

With a demanding schedule ahead, especially the goal of conquering the US Open, Sinner and Djokovic's continued absence from the Canada Open highlights a clear trend among top players: prioritizing health and Grand Slam events over the packed ATP Tour schedule.

Vy Anh