Daniil Medvedev will arrive at the Canadian Open as the fourth seed, a reflection of the significant number of withdrawals from the tournament. Only Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur are placed above him in the seeding.

With Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic all absent, Medvedev becomes one of the leading contenders for the title. The Russian has already collected two ATP Tour trophies in 2026, and the depleted field gives him a clear opportunity to add another major result.

Asked by Bolshe about the absences in Canada and the possible thinking behind them, Medvedev gave a measured response. “I think it’s normal, everyone has their own reasons. Alcaraz injured his wrist, he missed two Slams and so on. Sinner, obviously it’s not easy when you win many tournaments in a row. You win Wimbledon, you don’t have much time,” said the Russian star.

He then pointed specifically to Sinner’s scheduling choice, saying, “Obviously his main goal is the US Open and he chose to prepare the best way possible for the US Open,” he said about Sinner’s decision to miss the tournament again.

Medvedev also addressed Djokovic’s absence, and was candid about the challenge of managing a full calendar at this stage of a career. “If we talk about Novak, he’s 39, age is taking its toll, you need to choose tournaments where you can play well,” added the current world No 6.

“I saw that he’s playing Cincinnati, that’s already good. I thought maybe he would go straight to the US Open. So everyone has their own story, but there are still many great players in the draw and I hope the best one wins.”

Djokovic is set to play the Cincinnati Open for the first time since 2023, when he won the title for a third time.

Medvedev has his own history at both events, having won the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. He captured the Cincinnati title in 2019 and followed with the Canadian crown two years later. Recent results, however, have been less convincing, with early exits in Canada over the past two years and similarly short runs in Cincinnati across the last three seasons.

He has a first-round bye and will meet either Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Botic van de Zandschulp in round two.

Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has described Novak Djokovic’s decision to play Cincinnati before the 2026 US Open as an “excellent sign”. Djokovic confirmed last week that he will compete at the Masters 1000 event, which runs from 13 to 23 August, marking his first appearance there since 2023.

In a video released by the Cincinnati Open, Djokovic said: “I am very happy to announce that I will be in Cincinnati this year, for the first time since 2023,” Djokovic said in a video shared by the Cincinnati Open.

“That year I played one of the top three Masters 1000 finals of my career.

“I really look forward to coming back, playing in front of you again, and seeing all the fans from around the world. See you soon!”

Djokovic won that 2023 final against Carlos Alcaraz in three sets, then carried that momentum to the 2023 US Open, where he claimed his 24th and most recent Grand Slam title.

The 39-year-old has not played since his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to world No 1 Jannik Sinner last month.

On the latest episode of his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, Rusedski said Djokovic’s Cincinnati entry suggests the Serbian’s shoulder issue is improving.

“The good news is, he didn’t play any lead-ups to Paris because of the shoulder problem, so, the shoulder must be doing a lot better [now]. And that is a positive sign,” said the 1997 US Open finalist.

“No lead-up when he got to the finals of the Australian Open either, and Wimbledon. So, maybe he’s starting to get his mojo back and the body’s starting to bounce back and he’s feeling healthy.

“We’re going to learn a lot more about Novak in Cincinnati. And that is an excellent sign for all those Djokovic fans out there.”

Rusedski, who reached world No 4, also turned his attention to Jack Draper ahead of the Brit’s expected return in Montreal.

“He’s trying to find solutions,” said Rusedski. “I just want to see him play a full match. I want to see him get through tournaments. As I said in our last show, he’s a guy we need back in our sport.

“He’s a guy we want to see healthy. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m bored of it! I just want to see him play some tennis.”

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic pulling out of the Canadian Open has reignited discussion about whether tennis’ calendar has become too punishing. Sinner, the world No 1, said he withdrew from Montreal to protect his health. Djokovic has opted out as he continues to focus on the slams while approaching 40, and Carlos Alcaraz remains sidelined with a wrist injury.

Canadian Open tournament director Valerie Tetreault responded to the high-profile absences by acknowledging the strain on players while also calling attention to a wider issue. She said, “We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority. 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.”

The event used to sit in a different part of the season, with a two-week gap between Wimbledon and the Canadian Masters. Even then, many leading players still appeared. Now there is a three-week break after SW19, yet the field again lacks several of the sport’s biggest names.

Tennis content creator Gill Gross argued that the absence of top stars at this tournament is not only about the modern extended Masters format. He noted that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had already been missing Canada regularly, especially later in their careers. Federer skipped the event seven times between 2012 and 2021, Nadal played there five times between 2012 and 2024, and Djokovic has not played the Canadian Masters since 2018.

Gross said on his YouTube channel, “Everyone on my Twitter feed, basically in unison, all said the same thing when this news dropped, when Sinner and Djokovic pulled out on the same day. They all said, ‘Damn you extended two-week Masters 1000s, you’ve ruined it. You’ve ruined this event’. Look, I get it.

“I understand why that was the reaction. I am not a defender of the format. I have covered the flaws, the drawbacks when it comes to the format on the show many, many, many times. But we’ve got a short-term memory here, don’t we?

“Because last year, the Canada Masters became an expanded event for the first time, a two-week event, really 12, 13-day event. So let’s go back before then and examine the participation at the Canada Masters among the top players.

“ Roger Federer, after 2011, played Canada how many times? Twice. This was Nadal’s best hardcourt event. He sometimes prioritised it over Cincinnati. How many times after 2011, when both of these were one-week events, how many times after 2011 did Nadal actually play both? Three times.

“When’s the last time Djokovic played Canada? 2018. He’s won 11 slams since 2018.He hasn’t played Canada. So I get the reaction to be mad at the expanded Masters 1000s for players skipping out of this event. That’s actually not it in this case.”

Gross said the issue also reflects how the Big Three managed their careers and bodies, offering a template for future elite players. He added that Canada remains in a difficult place on the calendar, and that problem is not new.

“Now, I understand there’s an age difference in some of these cases where Sinner is mid-20s. And if you look at Djokovic not playing Canada since 2018, you’re looking at a more advanced age Djokovic in that particular sample size.

“But I also think that the big three, how long they played and how diligent they were about taking care of their bodies, I think they set a bit of an example for the future elite players in the sport for how maybe it should be done, how important it is to make sure that you’re not overextending your physicality and prioritising majors as they did so clearly.

“I think there was a bit of an example set. So I feel horrible for Canada, the National Bank Open. But this isn’t the expanded Masters fault. It has always been in a bad calendar spot. Always. This is not new.

“Let’s have a memory. And last year it was even worse because there was only two weeks between Wimbledon and the start of Canada. And this year, because of the way the calendar shook out, there was actually that extra week.

“So it was three weeks. And for that reason, they [the tournament organisers] were expecting to have better luck this year than they did last year. Not the case, unfortunate. I feel sorry for the locals at these events. I feel sorry for the people involved with these events. It’s not great.”