The Canadian Open has quietly turned into one of the ATP Tour’s hardest events to sell to the game’s biggest names. In recent seasons, Novak Djokovic has skipped it since 2018, while Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have also stayed away from the North American tournament over the last two years.

That stands in sharp contrast to the event’s earlier prestige. In 2010, the title was lifted by names such as Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal. More recently, the trophy has gone to Alexei Popyrin and Ben Shelton, a shift that has only sharpened the sense that the event is struggling to hold its status with the top of the game.

A number of explanations have been offered for the pattern. The two-week Masters format is one of the most common. Others point to the length of the North American hard-court swing, while the heat and the tournament’s timing close to Wimbledon have also been cited.

Whatever the cause, the issue has become difficult to ignore, and Mark Petchey believes he has an answer. Speaking on The Big T Podcast, the former coach of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu argued that the ATP should consider a special arrangement to help the Canadian Open draw leading players through guarantees.

“I honestly think the only fix for Canada on the ATP side is again to make a kind of separate rule for them, so that they can entice the top players with a guarantee,” he explained.

“Which obviously they they can’t pay guarantees at the thousand level because the bonus pool has been put in there to try and protect the tournaments.

“It’s not really for the players. It’s to protect the tournament so they don’t have to pay out more money if the top players don’t play,” he continued.

“But I’m almost of the opinion that Canada feels as though it’s going to be a difficult child syndrome for the ATP. And if you’re going to try and help them, you almost have to loosen the purse strings.”

The bonus pool is distributed to the top 30 players at Masters events who have played eight or more tournaments on the ATP Tour calendar. It is worth $21.5 million and is based on rankings points collected at those elite events. With Sinner’s withdrawal, he is now one tournament away from no longer being eligible for consideration. His bonus pool earnings for 2026 will also be reduced by 25%, although that figure is unlikely to matter much given the millions he has already earned this season.

The Canadian Open has been handed a notably open feel after Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Masters event once more. Their withdrawals, alongside Carlos Alcaraz’s absence, leave the field lighter on marquee names as the North American hardcourt swing gets underway.

With only seven of the top 10 entered, the tournament now offers a genuine opening for contenders chasing a major title and 1000 ranking points. In that context, several players arrive with a clear chance to make the most of the draw.

Alexander Zverev stands out as the leading contender. He has been in strong form in the absence of Alcaraz, and with Sinner and Djokovic also missing, he looks the favourite for the title. Zverev won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon final for the first time in his career. He last won the Canadian Open in 2017, when he beat Roger Federer, Nick Kyrgios, and Gasquet, and another victory would also bring him closer to Sinner in the ATP rankings.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has not always produced his best tennis at this event, but this may be his best chance yet to win on home soil. He has reached the quarter-finals only once in seven appearances, yet his hardcourt pedigree is strong, and his US Open semi-final last year showed what he can do on the biggest stages.

Taylor Fritz also enters with expectations, even if recent results at Roland Garros and Wimbledon did not match them. He enjoyed a solid grass-court swing in Stuttgart and Halle, though the Canadian Open remains a place where he has already let a similar chance slip, falling in the semi-finals last year.

Ben Shelton returns as defending champion and carries obvious threat on hard courts. His power game suits the surface, and he has the chance to become the first player to win back-to-back Canadian Open titles since Rafael Nadal.

Arthur Fils, meanwhile, has given signs in 2026 that he can join the sport’s leading names. Since returning from injury in February, he has reached the Qatar Open final, won in Barcelona, and made Masters semi-finals in Miami and Madrid.

Former British No 1 Kyle Edmund has offered a clear warning to Carlos Alcaraz as the Spaniard works toward a comeback from a right wrist injury: he cannot afford uncertainty when he returns.

Alcaraz picked up the problem in April during his first-round victory over Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open. He has not played since, which has ruled him out of the rest of the clay season and the grass-court swing. According to reports, his next target is the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati next month, with the 2026 US Open following soon after.

Before the injury interruption, the 23-year-old had compiled a 22-3 record this season. His first 16 matches produced titles at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open, underlining the level he had reached before being forced off court.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Edmund said the setback “seems significant” and made clear how much he values watching the seven-time major winner compete.

“Alcaraz, it doesn’t feel like a minor injury; it seems significant because he’s had to take serious time out and miss Grand Slams,” said the former world No 14.

“When you’re missing Grand Slams, that’s a proper thing. Those guys, that’s their career: winning Slams.

“For people that enjoy tennis, we don’t need those guys out. I love watching him, so I would like him back. He’s just got to be careful with the wrist.

“I know from speaking to people about wrist injuries, you’ve got to make sure they’re right when you come back. And there’s a confidence thing to let go, as well.

“I think publicly he’s being quite reserved with it – rightfully so, it’s his personal thing. I don’t know what [the injury] is, in terms of what happened.

“But he’ll be back when he’s ready, and the way he plays is so explosive and physical that he can’t have any doubts in his head. He’s got to be able to trust his body.

“Hopefully he can get there, because the game’s better with him.”

Edmund, who retired aged 30 last August, knows the demands of injury recovery well. His later career was affected by a series of physical problems, including a wrist issue in 2023. He also raised the possibility that tour balls may be contributing to arm and wrist trouble, pointing to his own experience late in his career.