Alexander Zverev achieved a significant milestone at the Canadian Open by securing his 500th career win. The world No. 3 staged a comeback from a set down to defeat Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round, marking a landmark in his career. With a career record now standing at 500-212, Zverev joins a select group of five active ATP players to reach 500 wins.

At 28 years old, Zverev’s resume includes 24 ATP Tour titles, with seven Masters 1000 victories and two ATP Finals titles. He also boasts an Olympic gold medal from the Tokyo 2020 Games. Despite not having captured a Grand Slam title yet, Zverev has been a three-time runner-up and reached 39 ATP tour-level finals throughout his career. He peaked at world No. 2 in the rankings.

Alongside Zverev, the other active players with more than 500 wins include Stan Wawrinka, Gaël Monfils, Marin Čilić, and Novak Djokovic. Wawrinka, who turned 40 this year, has a career tally of 580 wins, highlighted by three Grand Slam titles (2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open, and 2016 US Open) and 16 ATP titles overall since turning professional in 2002.

Gaël Monfils, nearing 39, has accumulated 583 wins, 13 ATP titles, and reached two Grand Slam semifinals, though he has hinted that his career might end within the next couple of seasons. Marin Čilić, with 593 wins to his name, broke the Big 3 dominance by winning the 2014 US Open and holds 21 ATP titles.

The leader in this elite group remains Novak Djokovic, world No. 6 at age 38, with 1,150 wins—the second most in ATP history. His remarkable career includes 100 ATP titles, a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, 40 Masters 1000 trophies, and 428 weeks as the ATP world No. 1.

Zverev’s entry into this exclusive club highlights his sustained excellence and solidifies his status among the top players of his generation.

The Canadian Open has adopted a 12-day extended format starting from 2025, a change that has attracted criticism from notable figures including former ATP player Sam Querrey. This scheduling shift, commencing only two weeks after Wimbledon concludes, is widely considered a major factor behind multiple significant player withdrawals.

Top stars like World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, and World No. 6 Novak Djokovic have all withdrawn from this year’s Canadian Open following their Wimbledon campaigns. Additional notable absences include World No. 5 Jack Draper, Grigor Dimitrov, Tommy Paul on the men’s side, and WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s tournament.

The Cincinnati Open, immediately following the Canadian Open, also embraces the multiple-week format in 2025, overlapping with the tail end of the Canadian event.

Querrey expressed his concerns in the podcast Nothing Major: “The players don’t like it, the fans don’t like it, and now especially in Toronto with Carlos, Novak, Jannik and others pulling out.” He added, “We just had this great event in DC with an amazing final, and you got to watch Alex [de Minaur], and [Ben] Shelton and [Frances] Tiafoe. There is no momentum going into Toronto. I am not excited as a fan.”

Querrey acknowledged the optimism of mid-ranked players, saying, “I’m sure those guys ranked like Zverev, Fritz, Musetti and Shelton, are like: ‘I can win this, possibly this year.’ But it just is going to drag on. The next three and a half weeks of tennis is just going to drag on. Cincinnati is going to start while Toronto is still going on.”

He also noted the unusual scheduling of only one qualifying round in Toronto, a rarity for Masters 1000 events.

The prolonged schedule format, once limited to Indian Wells and the Miami Open, is now common among several Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events. This spring, both Madrid and Rome transitioned to two-week formats, and further multi-week events are planned for Shanghai on the men’s side and Beijing on the women’s side in the autumn.

The ATP Tour calendar’s evolving format continues to provoke debate, with other players such as World No. 4 Taylor Fritz also voicing criticism recently.

Taylor Fritz is preparing for a compelling rematch against Canada’s Gabriel Diallo in Toronto, following their intense five-set encounter at Wimbledon last month. Fritz has endured a demanding schedule since June, claiming the Eastbourne title, reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, and competing at the Washington 500 event last week, which was part of a new ATP rule requiring players to enter at least two 500-level tournaments each season. “I’m going to be honest, I don’t think that’s the best rule,” Fritz admitted, “because I was injured earlier this year, and I felt like I really could have used a rest week.”

Despite this, Fritz confirmed he is ready for the North American summer swing. “Obviously being from North America, it’s a swing that I enjoy playing, and I’m excited to be here.”

Diallo, a 23-year-old rising star who reached a career-high ranking of No. 35, impressed with his service skills and athleticism during their last matchup. Standing 6-foot-8, Diallo’s fluid movement on the court makes him a formidable opponent. Their upcoming contest promises to be a captivating battle of contrasting styles in the National Bank Open.