The most notable tennis news of the week is the fact that Italian Jannik Sinner, the world number one, has decided not to play the National Bank Open in Montreal at the beginning of August. The news is significant because Sinner became the first player ever to win the first five ATP Masters 1000 events in the same calendar year, as he won Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
The reason for Sinner’s absence is related to his health. He played a demanding clay court season leading up to the French Open, and it cost him at Roland Garros. Sinner shockingly lost in the second round to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in five gruelling sets–3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
I understand Sinner is playing a demanding schedule. However, he also has a chance to make history. The loser is not just Canadian tennis fans, but tennis historians, as Sinner has decided not to try and make tennis history and win all nine ATP Masters 1000 series events in the same year.
In deciding not to play, he provided a statement to Tennis Canada. It stated, “After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal…it is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future.”
It is expected Sinner will compete in Cincinnati. He previously won the Canadian Open in 2023. In the final, Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur of Australia, 6-4, 6-1.
