It is one of the biggest events on the ATP and WTA Tour.
But, for the second straight year, the Canadian Open has been affected by a string of big-name withdrawals.
Twelve months, several big stars pulled out of the event due to the short turnaround from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, held on an entirely different surface from the Masters and WTA 1000 event.
Now, the 2025 event’s proximity to the end of Wimbledon appears to be a significant problem for several players, with multiple tennis superstars pulling out of the tournament.
Here, we look at some of the biggest names who will not be in action in either Montreal or Toronto over the coming fortnight.
Men’s singles
The men’s singles event, held in Toronto this year, has been particularly affected, with both the world No 1 and No 2 pulling out pre-event.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner officially withdrew from the event on Sunday, citing recovery from his run to the Wimbledon title as a key factor in his decision.
His withdrawal was followed by world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz officially pulling out of the tournament on Monday, the Spaniard citing the build-up of matches played across the clay and grass-court swings.
It is the second straight year Alcaraz has withdrawn from the tournament, while Sinner – who triumphed in Toronto two years ago – was a quarter-finalist in Montreal back in 2024.
However, Alcaraz and Sinner are not the only top-10 stars out of the event, with both Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper also absent.
Djokovic has not played in Canada since 2019 and will focus on recovery after his Wimbledon semi-final run, while Draper has also withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open due to injury.
Furthermore, two more players who were also set to be seeds in Toronto pulled out on Wednesday.
World No 15 Tommy Paul has withdrawn after an injury-disrupted spell, starting during his Roland Garros campaign, while world No 20 Grigor Dimitrov is out after his injury heartbreak versus Sinner at the All England Club.
They are also joined on the sidelines by Jordan Thompson, who also retired injured at Wimbledon, 2022 Canadian Open runner-up Hubert Hurkacz, and Sebastian Korda.
Former world No 6 Hurkacz has undergone a procedure to deal with a knee injury first sustained at Wimbledon in 2024, while Korda is out due to a stress fracture in his right shin.
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Women’s singles
While there have not been as many withdrawals as in the men’s event, the women’s event in Montreal has also seen several big names drop out.
Most notably, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka will not be in action; much like Alcaraz in the men’s event, she has pulled out to rest after a busy spring and early summer.
The three-time Grand Slam champion will be back later in the hard-court swing, with Cincinnati Open and US Open titles for her to defend.
Also pulling out of the event is world No 6 Zheng Qinwen, who, after losing round one at Wimbledon, looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after recent elbow surgery.
The Chinese has already pulled out of the US Open as well, with her priority likely to be the Asian swing – if she is back to full fitness.
After the recurrence of her longstanding injury issues, world No 10 Paula Badosa is also set to miss action in Montreal.
The Spaniard had found a rich vein of form across the end of 2024 and start of 2025, though a lingering back issue is once again troubling the former world No 2.
Outside of the seeded players, three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur has withdrawn after announcing a break from tennis, while Sonay Kartal has also pulled out.
Donna Vekic is out due to a schedule change, while Lois Boisson, one of the breakout stars of 2025, has pulled out just days after winning her first WTA Tour title.
The post Canadian Open withdrawal chaos: Sabalenka, Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic lead mass exodus appeared first on Tennis365.
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