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participation, several top players including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Jack Draper have withdrawn.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 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).

This past Saturday saw three trophies awarded in ATP and WTA tour events, while in Washington D.C. the thrilling conclusion of the combined 500-level tournament awaits. Meanwhile, the main draws of the prestigious tournaments in Montreal and Toronto have commenced, bringing some of the sport’s notable talents into the spotlight.

At the WTA event in Washington, Anastasia Kalinskaya emerges as a strong contender, undefeated in eight sets so far, including a semifinal victory over Emma Raducanu. Her final opponent Leylah Fernandez showcased resilience by overcoming top seed Jessica Pegula 7-5 in the third set in the quarterfinals and later defeating third seed Elena Rybakina after being a set down and trailing 5-3. Fernandez’s prior encounter with Kalinskaya, four years ago in Guadalajara, resulted in a win for Fernandez, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

On the ATP side in Washington, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina continues his impressive run, backing up his recent upset over top seed Taylor Fritz with a straight-sets win against Ben Shelton. Davidovich Fokina aims to capture his first tour-level title after previously falling short in three finals this year. His opponent, Alex de Minaur, is on the verge of claiming his 10th career title and currently leads ATP players with 20 hard-court victories in 2025.

The Montreal event features an engaging lineup including rising star Diane Mboko, who is set to face Kimberly Birrell. The evening session highlights a match between former major champions Bianca Andreescu and Barbora Krejcikova. Local favorites Marina Stakusic and Rebecca Marino will compete on Centre Court alongside 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who matches up against fellow left-hander Marketa Vondrousova.

In Toronto, the Masters 1000 tournament has begun with a mix of established and emerging players. Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard are scheduled for day matches, complemented by Americans Reilly Opelka and Learner Tien. The night session on Center Court will feature wild card Vasek Pospisil in his 44th event appearance and Thiago Seyboth Wild Fonseca, who is participating in his sixth Masters 1000 event. The Brazilian player is coming off a third round showing at Wimbledon.

Rain interrupted semifinal matches on Saturday, leaving only one game completed between Harold Mayot and Stefanos Sakellaridis. Play will resume with Mayot leading 1-0, before the final between Lukas Klein and Switzerland’s Jakub Paul is contested.