Frances Tiafoe expressed criticism of the revamped Canadian Open schedule ahead of its 2025 edition. The tournament has expanded from one week to a 12-day event, increasing the ATP Masters 1000 singles draw from 56 to 96 players. The men’s event in Toronto started recently with the final set for Thursday, August 7.

This extended format has been adopted at seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments, moving away from the traditional single-week, 56-player format. Despite the broader participation, several top players including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Jack Draper have withdrawn.

At a press conference, world No. 11 Tiafoe shared his views on the schedule changes, particularly the early final, stating, “It is what it is. I like that it’s a bit shorter than Madrid, Rome. Weird because the final is on a Thursday. That’s garbage.” He noted the challenge of a 10-day event but added that playing close to home in the United States is a positive factor.

“I love the city of Toronto. My girlfriend’s from there. Then I’ve got a lot of friends in the league from there, so I’m going to be set up, have a good time. But yeah, I mean, I guess I’m ready to get going and see how that goes. The 10-day events are tough, but I think it will be easier since I’m so close to the States. Something goes wrong, I’m a quick flight home. It’s not like when I’m stuck in Europe and playing on red clay and people speaking different languages and s—. It’s better to kind of be in the States, so for sure, I’m really happy. Hopefully put up some good results going into the Open. That’s kind of what matters.”

Criticism of the expanded format is not new. Carlos Alcaraz previously said, “The one week ones are better. Some will think that in two weeks there are days of rest, but that is not the case. You train, you have to mentally prepare for the game, prepare for it… you’re not resting, really. It’s two full weeks. That’s why I prefer the one-week Masters 1000. For me, it’s better for tennis.” Stefanos Tsitsipas has also voiced concerns about the new structure.

The Canadian Open’s new schedule marks a significant shift in how ATP Masters 1000 events are organized, stirring debate within the tennis community regarding player welfare and tournament logistics.

The 2025 National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto will proceed without several top contenders, creating an intriguing landscape for the ATP tour. Notably absent are Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, and Novak Djokovic, as they rest ahead of the Cincinnati Open. Despite these withdrawals, Toronto remains a compelling hard-court event with strong potential for emerging players to capitalize on the open draw.

Historically, the tournament favors powerful serves and baseline prowess. In 2023, the surface speed registered at 1.07 on Tennis Abstract’s Surface Speed scale, indicating a 7% increase in ace frequency compared to average tour surfaces, marking it as faster than Cincinnati’s renowned hard courts.

Among those to watch is Holger Rune, the talented Dane who aims to regain momentum following a back injury and a recent training stint with Andre Agassi. Rune’s game could benefit from Agassi’s expertise in return games, an area Rune has struggled with. Rune’s health and form will be key to his performance.

Canadian stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime have strong home support and favorable draws. Shapovalov, in particular, boasts the highest winning percentage of his career this season at 59.4% and is coming off a title win in Los Cabos where he did not drop a set. According to the article, “If Shapovalov can handle his nerves and keep his double-fault percentage down this week, there’s no reason he can’t go far in front of his home crowd.”

Other notable contenders with competitive odds include Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, and Ben Shelton. The absence of dominant figures like Alcaraz and Sinner sets the stage for a dynamic competition with several players vying for the prestigious Masters 1000 trophy on offer in Toronto.

The 2025 Canadian Open will proceed without the presence of the men’s Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, all absent due to injury and fatigue. Their absence opens opportunities for other contenders, potentially leading to an unexpected tournament winner.

Alexei Popyrin, who captured his maiden Masters title at the 2024 Canadian Open by defeating Andrey Rublev in the final, will face a significant drop in ranking points. Popyrin earned 1000 ATP points from last year’s victory and currently sits at No. 26 with 2050 points. Without defending his title, he is projected to fall outside the top 50 but can regain points with each round he advances this year.

Jannik Sinner, currently world No. 1 with 12,030 points, reached the quarter-finals at last year’s Canadian Open, earning 200 points which he stands to lose due to non-participation in 2025. After the event, Sinner’s total will drop to approximately 11,830 points, maintaining a healthy lead over Alcaraz, who is second with 8,600 points. Alcaraz and Djokovic will not lose points this year, having not competed in the previous edition, while Jack Draper will lose 10 points due to a first-round exit last year.

Other notable absences include seeded players Tommy Paul (-50 points), Grigor Dimitrov (-100 points), and Alexander Bublik (-10 points).

Among active competitors, Alexander Zverev enters as the top seed. He earned 200 points by reaching the quarter-finals last year and will lose those points. Taylor Fritz, the second seed, will drop 50 points. However, the ranking calculations are complicated this year as points from the 2024 Washington DC Open (an ATP 250 event) will also roll off during the same period as the Canadian Open.

Ben Shelton, for example, earned 50 points at the 2024 Canadian Open but will lose a total of 250 points considering his semi-final run in the Washington DC Open. Andrey Rublev, the 2024 runner-up in Canada, faces a significant drop of 750 points combined from these two tournaments. Other seeded players losing points include Holger Rune (-100), Casper Ruud (-100), Frances Tiafoe (-200), Flavio Cobolli (-380), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (-150), and Matteo Arnaldi (-400).