The 2026 Canadian Open has suffered another setback, with two more players added to a withdrawal list that keeps growing as the event approaches.

The combined ATP-WTA 1000 tournament opens the second half of the season and will be played from 1 August to 13 August. The men’s draw is set for Montreal, while the women’s competition will take place in Toronto.

It is also the opening stop in the North American summer sequence that includes the Cincinnati Open and the US Open later in August. With that stretch still to come, players are clearly being forced to manage their schedules carefully and protect any lingering problems as they aim to arrive in New York in peak condition.

On the women’s side, the list of absentees has already taken a significant toll. Victoria Mboko will not defend her title after the 19-year-old suffered a serious knee injury during the Queen’s Club Championship, which also ruled her out of Wimbledon and her home event in Quebec. Emma Raducanu joined the absentees last week, sidelined by a stress fracture in her right leg, with no clear return date and no place in Cincinnati either.

Two Grand Slam finalists have now also withdrawn. Karolina Muchova, who reached the Wimbledon final only a little over a week ago, is recovering after what she described as a “small surgery”. She explained, “I had to undergo a small surgery that will keep me off the court for a few weeks. Everything went well, and I’m already working on my recovery,” the world No 6 wrote on social media.

Jasmine Paolini is the latest player to step away, citing a foot injury. “Unfortunately, I’ve decided to withdraw from Washington and Toronto so I can give my foot extra time to rest,” said the Italian, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals earlier in July.

On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz remains the biggest absence as he continues recovering from the wrist injury he picked up at the Barcelona Open in July. Novak Djokovic’s participation is also uncertain; the former world No 1, a four-time Canadian Open champion, last appeared at the event in 2018.

Coco Gauff and Alycia Parks meet in an all-American encounter that pits a settled elite player against a power seeker. Parks, 25, and Gauff, 22, present a contrast: Gauff has been embedded in the Top 5 for three years, while Parks is still searching for a consistent breakthrough. Parks carries physical tools — listed at 6’1 and capable of hitting with anyone — and she owns a title and a career-high ranking as high as No. 40. She can also hit rough patches: she is currently ranked 105th and went 23-32 in 2025. Her only prior meeting with Gauff ended 6-0, 6-2.

Parks arrives in Miami on a recent high: she has won two main-draw matches here and handled former WTA No. 2 Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-3 on Friday. The quick courts could favor Parks’ ability to tee off, but Gauff’s pace, court coverage and refusal to relent often allow her to extend rallies until she finds the extra ball she needs. Winner: Gauff

Jannik Sinner follows an Indian Wells title run and was fortunate that Miami’s opening day was rained out and his side of the draw played last. That timing gives him a first match on Saturday, six days after Indian Wells concluded. He said Miami was “very important” to him and appears ready to resume competition. Last year he served a doping-related suspension and has little to defend until Rome in May.

Sinner’s first opponent is the 33-year-old, 76th-ranked Dzumhur. The Italian will prepare carefully; on paper Dzumhur is 3-7 this season and at 5’9 he gives up about six inches to Sinner. He is not likely to bring a booming serve or great power, and at 33 he is not as quick as before, but he will battle for every game. Winner: Sinner

Emma Gibson’s story is momentum-driven. The 21-year-old Australian won two qualifying matches in Indian Wells, beat three Top 20 opponents to reach that quarterfinal run, and in Miami she won two more qualies and steamrolled Sara Bejlek 1 and 0 in the first round. She now faces Naomi Osaka, who is 17-8 in Miami with a final-round appearance in 2022 and who reached two wins at Indian Wells before bowing to Aryna Sabalenka. Osaka brings experience and a lethal forehand; Gibson brings form and a two-handed backhand that has carried her so far this spring.