Jannik Sinner has put together a remarkable opening stretch to the 2026 season, collecting five Masters titles and defending Wimbledon to secure his second straight crown there.

The world No. 1 has stayed well clear of the rest of the field and has kept his momentum during the absence of Carlos Alcaraz. Across the first seven months of the year, Sinner has been beaten only three times, with Novak Djokovic, Jakub Mensik, and Juan Manuel Cerundolo responsible for those losses.

Wimbledon delivered the fifth Grand Slam title of his career, and he now heads toward the US Open in September as the clear favourite to win a sixth major.

Even with the silverware already in his collection, Sinner says his biggest wish is to be remembered for more than results. Speaking to Secolo XIX, the World No 1 said: “We are obviously very happy to have successfully defended our title at Wimbledon. With my team, we are already preparing for the second part of the season, which promises to be very demanding.

“In ten years, I would like people to remember me not only for my results, but also for the person I have been and for the values that my parents instilled in me.

“And perhaps some will also remember me because they enjoyed watching my matches. When I play in Italy, I always feel immense support from the crowd. In return, I hope to be able to convey joy and positive energy.”

Sinner will not compete at the Canadian Open in early August, ending his chance to make more history in 2026. He had been on course to sweep all Masters events in the season, a feat no player has ever completed. So far, he has won Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Madrid Open, and the Italian Open.

His withdrawal also means no ranking-point loss, since he did not play the event last year. He will keep all of his 13,450 ATP Tour points. Three Masters events remain on the calendar, with Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris still available before the season reaches its climax.

Jannik Sinner will not have the chance to make history in 2026 by becoming the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles in a single season. The world No. 1 has confirmed that he will skip next month’s Canadian Open.

Sinner has been almost untouchable across the early Masters 1000 events of the year, lifting trophies in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. His Rome title also made him only the second man, after Novak Djokovic, to capture all nine Masters 1000 crowns at least once. A full sweep across one calendar year would have been an exceptional milestone, but that prospect is now gone.

The Italian was expected to arrive in Montreal as the clear favourite, yet he announced his withdrawal in a statement released by the ATP. “After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal,” Sinner said.

“It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritise my health. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future.”

Djokovic has also pulled out of Canada, though that decision is less surprising given his reduced schedule and the fact that he has not played in Canada since 2018.

The withdrawals have added to a wider concern around the event’s place on the calendar. “We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montréal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto. We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority,” said Valérie Tétreault, Tournament Director of the National Bank Open in Montreal.

“That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport. Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world’s best compete. We are already in discussions with the ATP to ensure this matter receives serious consideration. We firmly believe adjustments are needed in the near future to better protect the integrity of our Masters 1000 events while remaining mindful of the realities players face.”

Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer of Tennis Canada, added: “As a national federation and the organizer of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, we have a responsibility to advocate for the interests of tennis and the fans who support our event year after year,” said Ziv.

“We have already opened a dialogue with the ATP to explore solutions that would maximise the participation of the world’s top players in mandatory events. We are encouraged by the openness shown so far and hope these discussions will lead to concrete changes in the near future.”

With Sinner and Djokovic absent, Alexander Zverev is projected to be top seed in Canada, with Felix Auger-Aliassime seeded No. 2 and defending champion Ben Shelton at No. 3. Carlos Alcaraz had already ruled himself out, while the women’s draw has also lost Emma Raducanu, Karolina Muchova, Victoria Mboko and Jasmine Paolini.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has cast fresh doubt on Novak Djokovic’s long-term future, saying the question of when he will stop remains impossible to answer.

Djokovic, who turned 39 in May, is still competing near the top of the sport even though he is playing far fewer events than many of his peers. The former world No. 1 is now ranked seventh and has gone 14-5 this season, with only five tournaments on his schedule so far.

His results have remained elite. Djokovic was runner-up at the Australian Open and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year. In 2025, he also advanced to the last four at all four majors.

Since winning the 2023 US Open, he has been pursuing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title. If he were to add another major, he would become the oldest singles champion in tennis history.

Speaking to Bolshe Tennis, Pavlyuchenkova said she could only offer uncertainty when asked about retirement.

“Well, with Djokovic it’s a mystery. That’s just… it’s like, I don’t know, he’s not human,” said the French Open finalist and former world No 11.

She added: “Who would have thought that, to this day, he’d still be playing and reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam?

“It’s very hard to say. I think for him, a semi-final is… well, not a failure, but his goal is to win Slams, to win the big tournaments.

“So, the question is if he still has the motivation, what his goals are, what physical condition he is in. It’s unclear. And why does he continue? For me, there are many questions.”

Mark Philippoussis also reflected on Djokovic’s staying power in an exclusive interview with Tennis365, describing his standards as extraordinary.

“It’s incredible (what Djokovic is doing). I mean, there’s professionalism, and then he takes it to another level,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist.

“You’re talking about, like LeBron James is the same thing, and Tom Brady was the same as well, still playing the best [at an age] when guys have normally retired.

“As fans, and if you love tennis, we need to sit back and appreciate that and just enjoy watching him while we can.”