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Top stars like World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, and World No. 6 Novak Djokovic have all withdrawn from this year’s Canadian Open following their Wimbledon campaigns.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.

Alexander Zverev reached a significant career milestone at the Toronto Masters 1000 event on Thursday night, securing his 500th win by defeating Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round. This victory places Zverev among an elite group of players, becoming only the fifth active male player to achieve 500 or more career wins, alongside Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Gael Monfils, and Stan Wawrinka.

Notably, Zverev is the third German male player in the Open Era to reach this feat, following Boris Becker and Tommy Haas. Born in 1997, he is the first man born in 1990 or later — indeed, the youngest to reach 500 wins, as the previous youngest was Marin Cilic, born in 1988.

Zverev has demonstrated consistent high-level performance, finishing seven of the last eight years in the ATP Top 10, including four finishes inside the Top 4. Among 57 men in the Open Era to reach 500 career wins, only 25 have maintained a winning percentage of 70% or higher, a group that includes Zverev.

This milestone underscores Zverev’s sustained excellence and places him firmly in the conversation among tennis’s foremost competitors over the last decade.