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.”

Greg Rusedski has become noticeably more encouraged by Carlos Alcaraz’s progress after watching the Spaniard’s latest training video.

A little under a month ago, the former British No 1 admitted he was “deeply concerned” after seeing footage of the 23-year-old back on court as he worked his way through a wrist injury. At that stage, Rusedski felt the seven-time major winner did not appear ready to return to the ATP Tour.

That assessment has now softened ahead of Alcaraz’s expected comeback at the Cincinnati Masters, which runs from 13-23 August. Speaking on the latest episode of Off Court with Greg Rusedski, the former US Open finalist said, “He seems to be hitting the ball well, but it looked like he wasn’t hitting with the highest level players.

“It was more juniors and younger players. Time will tell, but much better signs. Fingers crossed he makes it in Cincinnati.”

Rusedski, who currently coaches Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, also highlighted Alcaraz’s movement in the brief clip posted by the Spaniard.

He added, “The movement looks pretty good because when you have a wrist injury, the good news is you can do a lot of footwork, you can do a lot of movement. You can use that time to get better physically, but you still need to get the reps on court.

“So a lot more optimistic about him coming back, but still, we got to see what happens. We’ve seen what’s happened with Jack Draper. You know, a lot of starts. So fingers crossed, Carlos is back. We need him in the game.”

Alcaraz has not appeared on the ATP Tour since hurting his wrist in mid-April at the Barcelona Open. His return will be closely watched, particularly with the US Open title defense approaching in a few weeks.

Rusedski believes that simply having Alcaraz back matters for the sport. “Carlos is the biggest star in men’s tennis at the moment, the most explosive player. And for me, he’s the guy who transcends our sport, not only tennis, but globally,” he said.