Sinner and Djokovic Withdrawals Strip Montreal of Headline Act – and Reshape the Summer Hard-Court Picture

The National Bank Open in Montreal will go ahead without two of its defining attractions after men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic both withdrew from the 2026 edition of the tournament.

The double absence removes the sport’s most bankable drawcards from one of the key lead-up events to the US Open, reshaping the competitive balance of the Canadian swing and altering preparation plans across the ATP locker room.

A Masters 1000 loses its marquee names

Montreal hosts the men’s event of the National Bank Open, part of the elite ATP Masters 1000 series that sits one tier below the Grand Slams in tennis’ structure and is overseen by the ATP. The tournament, played on outdoor hard courts, traditionally attracts the strongest fields of the North American summer ahead of New York.

Sinner, currently ranked No. 1 and the reigning Australian Open champion, has been one of the defining players of the current cycle, lifting his first major trophy in Melbourne in 2024. Djokovic, whose 24 majors stand as the men’s benchmark, remains a central figure in every draw he enters, even as the men’s game transitions to a new generation.

Both players have now elected to skip Montreal, prompting a cascade of draw changes, ticketing implications and strategic rethink for opponents who had been expecting to test themselves against the top seed and the most decorated active champion in the sport.

Impact on the draw, seeding and opportunity

The withdrawal of both the world No. 1 and a multiple-time hard-court major winner fundamentally alters the competitive landscape of a Masters 1000 event:

• Seeding reshuffle: With Sinner and Djokovic out, every remaining seed moves up in the order, changing projected quarterfinal and semifinal match-ups and potentially softening early rounds for some leading contenders.
• Open path for chasing pack: Established top-10 players and rising contenders now see a clearer path to deep runs, ranking points and prize money that can influence year-end standings and the race to the season-ending finals.
• Wildcard and qualifier upside: Extra space at the top of the draw heightens the chance of breakthrough runs from lower-ranked players, who may now avoid facing Sinner or Djokovic in early marquee matches.

For athletes managing the long season, missing one Masters 1000 can be a calculated trade-off, but the combined effect of two headline withdrawals at the same event raises the significance of how the remaining players respond.

Commercial and scheduling consequences for Montreal

The Canadian Open, run as a combined event across Montreal and Toronto in alternating years, is one of the longest-standing tournaments on the men’s tour and a key commercial asset for Tennis Canada. In its Masters 1000 incarnation, the National Bank Open relies strongly on star power to drive ticket sales, hospitality and broadcast engagement.

With both Sinner and Djokovic absent, organisers must lean heavily on the depth of the field, local interest and the prestige of the event itself. In practical terms, the withdrawals trigger a series of operational steps familiar at top-level tournaments:

• Reworked marketing narratives that shift emphasis from individual headliners to rivalries and storylines across the wider draw.
• Revised television and session scheduling, especially for prime-time matches originally projected to feature either Sinner or Djokovic.
• Increased visibility for Canadian and regional players, who often become the focus of on-site and broadcast coverage in the absence of global superstars.

From an institutional perspective, the event’s status within the ATP Masters 1000 category remains secure, but back-to-back high-profile withdrawals sharpen ongoing discussions among stakeholders about calendar density, travel demands and how best to balance player welfare with commercial expectations.

Context: a shifting men’s game

Sinner’s rise to No. 1, underpinned by his Australian Open victory over Novak Djokovic en route to the title and his earlier success at the 2023 Canadian Open in Toronto, has already signalled a generational shift at the top of the men’s game. Djokovic, meanwhile, continues to serve as the reference point for excellence on hard courts, with a record haul of majors and deep experience at every major event.

Having both players absent from a premier North American stop in the same week underscores how fragile star availability can be on a crowded global circuit. For fans who had targeted Montreal as a chance to see both the current world No. 1 and one of the sport’s all-time greats in person, this year’s edition will feel materially different, even if the on-court product remains high.

Strategic implications ahead of the US Open

The Montreal Masters 1000 is structurally important in the road map towards the US Open. It offers:

• High-value rankings points that feed into seedings for New York and the year-end standings.
• Match play on outdoor hard courts under conditions broadly similar to those at Flushing Meadows.
• A controlled environment for players and teams to test tactical plans and equipment choices for the final major of the season.

By bypassing Montreal, Sinner and Djokovic adjust that preparation arc. They sacrifice one of the most competitive tune-up events, but potentially gain additional time to manage training volume, recovery and travel. The calculation is particularly sensitive for Sinner as he navigates the demands of being world No. 1 and for Djokovic as he targets peaks at select events rather than full-season domination.

For their rivals, the message is twofold. On one hand, the absence of the top seed and a 24-time major champion opens immediate opportunity: ranking points earned in Montreal can close gaps in the standings and improve seedings at subsequent events. On the other, it raises the bar for capitalising on that opportunity, with coaches and players aware that such windows against a full-strength field are rare.

Montreal’s role in the broader governance conversation

The withdrawals also sit within a bigger conversation about how top-level tennis is structured. The men’s calendar is governed by the ATP in conjunction with national federations and tournament operators, with a heavy load of mandatory and optional events that run almost year-round.

Episodes where multiple leading names skip a Masters 1000 stop inevitably feed into discussions among stakeholders about:

• The balance between mandatory event commitments and player autonomy.
• Travel and surface transitions across continents within tight timeframes.
• How ranking systems reward sustained participation versus targeted peaks.

While Montreal will still stage a strong field given its category and timing, the absence of Sinner and Djokovic ensures that the 2026 edition becomes a case study in how the men’s tour copes when its most recognisable figures adjust their schedules. For the players on site, it is an opportunity. For organisers and the wider governance framework, it is another data point in a long-running effort to align elite-level tennis with the physical and commercial realities of the modern game.

What remains certain is that the National Bank Open will again play a pivotal part in shaping form, confidence and rankings heading into New York – only this time without two of the era’s defining hard-court competitors in the draw.