Poor timing reason for influx of withdrawals at National Bank Open

Iga Swiatek (Si Robi, Wikimedia Commons)

It should not be surprising whatsoever that there has been an influx of withdrawals at the National Bank Open in Canada this year. The Masters 1000 series event should never have started two days after the Olympic Games. To be frank, it would have been stunning to see many players take the immediate trip to Canada after participating in one of the most mentally taxing events on the sports landscape.

Bottom line is the Olympic Games are unlike any other tennis tournament. There are a ton of off court responsibilities and obligations for the players. Some carried the flag in the Opening Ceremonies, and you could see a few players stay for the closing ceremonies, and even be flag bearers there too. When players represent their country at an Olympic Games, they are representing their National Olympic Committee and are encouraged to stay until the Olympic Games are complete to support their teammates from other sports.

In any case, the National Bank Open should have been scheduled a week later. If that means moving Cincinnati and the United States Open a week later, so be it.

The WTA players who have already withdrawn from the tournament are French Open champion Iga Swiatek, the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, French Open and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini of Italy, Wimbledon semifinalist and Olympic semifinalist Donna Vekic of Croatia, Miami Masters champion Danielle Collins of the United States, 2022 United States Open semifinalist Caroline Garcia of France, 2021 French Open and United States Open semifinalist Maria Sakkari of Greece, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova and Veronika Kudermetova, 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, mixed doubles Olympic gold medalist Katerina Siniakvova of the Czech Republic, China’s Xinyu Wang, and Australian Open finalist and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng of China. On the men’s side, those who have withdrawn from the National Bank Open in Montreal are the three Olympic medalists (Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti), and Australia’s Alex de Minaur.