Montreal tennis organisers hit by late Sinner, Djokovic withdrawals

Tournament organisers in Montreal were left confronting the loss of two of men’s tennis’ biggest draws after Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic withdrew from the National Bank Open, the ATP Masters 1000 event scheduled for August 1 to August 13, 2026. The Canadian Open expressed disappointment over the pair’s late pullouts, and the ATP Tour posted a withdrawal notice under the title “Sinner, Djokovic withdraw from Montreal.”

The withdrawals carry immediate business consequences beyond the court. Sinner and Djokovic are among the sport’s most marketable names, and their absence can affect ticket sales, television interest and sponsorship value at a tournament built around marquee appearances as much as match results. Fans who paid for premium seats to see elite names in person are left with a different product, while broadcasters and commercial partners lose the star power that helps sell the event to audiences and advertisers.

Montreal’s men’s draw is part of the National Bank Open in Canada, a split-site event with Toronto in some seasons. That structure has long allowed the tournament to spread its footprint, but it also underscores how much the event depends on the certainty of individual player commitments. When withdrawals land close to competition, the tournament’s credibility can take a hit, especially if promotional campaigns have already centred on players who do not arrive.

The episode also lands in the middle of a wider scheduling and workload debate on the ATP Tour. In January 2024, the ATP said ATP and WTA had announced new match-scheduling regulations intended to minimise late finishes, and it said a strategic review on tennis balls was underway. Those measures reflected growing pressure on players’ bodies during a long season that stretches across surfaces and continents, but they also show how fragile the balance remains between athlete management and the commercial demands of the tour.

For organisers, the central issue is not whether top players occasionally protect their health and workload. It is whether tennis gives host cities and paying customers enough certainty when stars commit, then pull out close to the start. Montreal’s experience has sharpened that question again, with the sport’s largest names able to reshape the value of an event almost overnight.