Jannik Sinner’s choice to skip the Canadian Open has reignited discussion around the tournament calendar, the demands on players and the two-week Masters model.

The move has drawn support from many pundits and former professionals, who have backed Sinner’s call to miss the Montreal event for a second straight year. Fans, by contrast, have been left frustrated, not only because they will not get the chance to watch him compete, but also because he will miss out on a shot at an unusual place in tennis history. The Canadian Open could have been Sinner’s sixth Masters event in succession in 2026, with only three more left to pursue later in the season, but that path is now closed.

As the conversation continues, Rennae Stubbs weighed in on the world No 1’s decision on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. The Grand Slam champion said: “I don’t blame Jannik for not playing. It was a bear of a schedule for him, doing what he did.

“He played all those clay court tournaments, lost that really tough match at the French, then goes and wins Wimbledon. He does not play anything prior. Maybe he learnt a lesson about the load of tennis which he did before the French.

“Then people have the audacity to be like he has an opportunity to win all the Masters 1000 this year, why wouldn’t he do it? “Do you think he cares about that? He has so many records now for being the youngest to do this and that. He has just won Wimbledon.

“His only thinking right now is how can I win the US Open, so not playing in Canada clearly opens up the book a little bit for him to get the rest that he needs then do the work load in Cincinnati.”

Sinner also withdrew from the Canadian Open last year, and that absence did not lead to a title on the North American hard-court swing. He later retired in the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz while trailing 5-0 in the opening set because of illness. After that, he reached the US Open final, only to meet the same opponent and the same result at Flushing Meadows. This year, he will hope the decision brings a better return.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will again sit out the Canadian Open, marking the second straight year the Masters event has lost two of its biggest names. Their absence has only sharpened concerns around an event that already enters the draw without some of its main attractions.

Alcaraz is missing because of a wrist injury, and his return is expected a couple of weeks later at the Cincinnati Open. Sinner has also opted out, choosing not to travel to Montreal so soon after winning Wimbledon, saying he is prioritising his health. Together, their decisions have added to the sense that the tournament is being asked to carry on without several of the sport’s top draws.

The issue has prompted renewed debate about the Canadian Open’s extended 12-day Masters format. Since the 2024 season, most Masters events have been stretched from the traditional week-long schedule to 12 days, a change that has not gone down well with leading ATP Tour players.

On Nothing Major, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson suggested the tournament may be content as long as the television revenue for nearly two weeks keeps coming in. Querrey framed the point bluntly: “Do you think the Canadian Masters would rather have a 12-day long tournament without Carlos, Jannik, and Novak, or have a 7-day tournament with those three in? I swear, I think they would rather have the 12-day tournament without them,” said Querrey.

He added, “I think they don’t care anymore. I think they’d rather take 12 days of TV rights in this. And I still think they don’t care. As bad as that sounds, I don’t think so.

Johnson agreed, saying, “I’m with you. I wish it was a seven-day event and all these guys would play, but I don’t think the tournaments or the sponsors really care because they’re the sponsorship is done so far in advance,” he added.

“It’s not like they’re pulling funding now because these guys are these guys are out in my opinion.”

This year’s top seeds will be Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, and Daniil Medvedev. Novak Djokovic, Tomas Machac, and Sebastian Korda are also out. Last year, Ben Shelton capitalised on a similar wave of withdrawals to win his first Masters title, defeating Karen Khachanov in the final and putting himself in position to defend all 1000 points.

Jannik Sinner’s decision to pull out of the Canadian Open drew attention for more than one reason, as it temporarily halted his pursuit of a rare place in tennis history.

The world No. 1 had been in position to chase the full set of nine Masters titles in a single calendar year, a feat no player has ever completed. Before the Canadian event, Sinner had already captured Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Madrid Open and the Italian Open. Four tournaments remained on the list, and Montreal was expected to be one of the key stops.

Instead, Sinner withdrew from the tournament, joining Novak Djokovic in pulling out. The move was widely met with approval from former players and commentators, many of whom linked it to the growing strain of the new two-week Masters format.

That expanded structure has become a major point of discussion across the tour. Several Masters tournaments, including the Canadian Open, now run over 12 days rather than the traditional seven, a change that has not been universally embraced by players.

Andy Roddick, speaking on Served, said he believes that format change is the main reason Sinner has chosen not to play in Montreal for a second straight year.

“I saw Jannik after he won Wimbledon and I said, “What’s next?” And he goes, “Some rest.” And so, in my mind, you don’t kind of project your opinion on what someone’s saying. And I can’t come on here and say that, you know, he says that, therefore I think Canada’s out. But in my own mind, I’m going, okay, that means Canada’s out,” he said, before suggesting Sinner could miss more tournaments in the foreseeable.

“It’s tough. It’s kind of one of those weird things where it’s kind of be careful what you wish for. You know, is Jannik next year, this is another one that’s interesting. Like he pulls out of this. Is next year with going to Roland Garros and with kind of his tennis being almost perfect going in, but his body giving out, does he skip some of the claycourt stuff next year to get his body right to kind of prioritize fitness at Roland Garros?,” he said.

“It’s a lot easier to make the decision to let something go when it’s a two-week commitment as opposed to coming over and saying, “I’m going to get tons of matches in two weeks and then have a week off before the US Open.” You know, I don’t know. It’s just different.”

Sinner’s clay-court schedule earlier in the season also became part of the conversation. He played all three clay Masters events before Roland Garros, a workload many have pointed to when assessing his French Open campaign.

At Roland Garros, the Italian let a two-set lead slip against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round and lost in five sets. He is still searching for his first title in Paris.