Djokovic and Sinner Skip Canadian Masters to Save for US Open
Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the National Bank Open in Canada, and Jannik Sinner has done the same. Both world number ones are conserving energy for New York, where Djokovic is seeded seventh.
- Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Canadian Masters (National Bank Open)
- Jannik Sinner has done the same, leaving organizers without both world number ones
- Djokovic is prioritizing his US Open preparation
- In New York, Novak enters as the seventh seed
The entry list for the Canadian Masters went up this morning, and the two names every organizer looks for first simply were not on it. No Novak Djokovic, no Jannik Sinner. A tournament sold as the last big test before the US Open suddenly lost its two biggest draws for the crowd and the broadcasters.
Djokovic pulled his entry, and soon Sinner did exactly the same. For the promoters of the National Bank Open, that is not an ordinary gap in the draw, it is a double blow felt in the stands and in the marketing brochures. When the world’s top two drop out in the same week, the whole event changes color.
Novak made no secret of the logic. A hard-court season is not measured by August Masters events, but by what happens on the show court in New York. Rather than wearing out his legs in Canada, he chooses to recharge, put in quiet preparation, and arrive at the US Open fresh. For a player chasing a milestone Grand Slam, that is a cold, calculated move, not a whim.
Why skip a Masters right now?
Because the calendar no longer forgives. Djokovic has long played on his own schedule, picking his tournaments rather than chasing every invitation, and that has stretched his time at the top. The Canadian Masters is a strong event, but it is not a Grand Slam, and Novak learned long ago that the points and trophies that stay in memory are won at the four biggest venues.
Then there is the Sinner factor. When the two men who share the top spot each decide, separately, to skip the same tournament, that is not coincidence but a trend. Elite tennis is increasingly built around the four Grand Slams, and the Masters events between them become a stage for the younger players and for those who need the points. This summer, the organizers in Canada are paying the bill for that trend.
What comes next before New York
Djokovic arrives at the US Open as the seventh seed, which gives him a clear task. A seventh seeding means the early rounds may be manageable, but that one of the very best could be waiting in the second week sooner than he would like. That is exactly why the rest right now is a bet on the long game, fewer miles in the legs in July for more freshness in September.
For the organizers in Canada, a bitter taste remains. The tournament will be played, someone will lift the trophy, but the story of the week is not who is in the draw, but who is not. Novak and Sinner sent the same message without a word, the US Open is the target, everything else is preparation.
So what do you think, is Djokovic’s frugal season planning the right path to a 25th Grand Slam, or should Masters organizers be guaranteed the presence of the biggest stars?
