Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have once again confirmed they will be missing the Canadian Open as the debate about the intensity of the tennis schedule continues to rumble on.
Masters events are the seconds biggest tournaments on the ATP Tour calendar, behind only the four Grand Slams.
So why are the likes of Djokovic and Sinner so happy to withdraw from them and subsequently miss out on a potential 1000 ATP Tour ranking points?
Andy Murray predicted this last season when he sent a fierce warning to ATP Tour organisers about what might happen due to the new two-week format of Masters events.
Speaking at the Madrid Open last year, Murray suggested the potential sanctions for missing a Masters event were not strong enough to convince players to play the tournaments.
At present, players can automatic ranking penalties, financial fines, and potential suspension from tournaments, although there have not been many severe examples in recent years.
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“I never made decisions based on bonus pool, but it would be more about: Will I get a zero point, or might it affect my ranking, this might have been something I would have considered, but then as I got older and when I reflect on it, and also as I’ve said to some coaches who work with younger players: You don’t have to play those events,” he said.
“Everyone says the schedule is very long, which it is. It’s definitely a long season. And now, with the two-week events, it’s quite demanding. But you also always have the choice not to play.
“Yes, you might get a zero point, lose a few ranking points, or not be part of a bonus pool. But that’s a decision, either you’re saying, ‘I don’t want to play,’ or ‘I’m making a decision to play because it’s better for me financially.’
Sinner and Djokovic’s withdrawals from the Canadian Open is not likely to change their ranking, or subsequent career, and that is also something Murray acknowledged last year.
“Players have the option not to play if they don’t want to,” he said. “It’s not like anything really bad happens. It’s not like you get a suspension or you can’t play future events. It’s just a zero pointer on your ranking. It’s not a big deal.”
Either the ATP Tour needs to make changes to the hectic nature of the tennis calendar or it needs to double down and start providing bigger sanctions on players who miss the biggest events in the calendar.
Otherwise there will be more withdrawals from key events across the season.
The post Andy Murray has already suggested the reason for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic’s Canadian Open withdrawals appeared first on Tennis365.
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