Tennis scheduling yet again faces a growing concern regarding player health and well-being due to a demanding and packed calendar. Last year, during the same time, we heard Iga Swiatek calling on the “people who are in charge” to fix the crammed calendar. She complained that the tennis authorities are “pushing and pushing for us to play more,” and she pleaded that players deserve to rest a little bit more. Following that, even ATP star Carlos Alcaraz also raised his voice on the same. Now, seeing multiple withdrawals from the 2025 Canadian Open, several other tennis bigwigs have also started to echo a similar concern.

In September 2024, during an interview with Punto de Break, Carlos Alcaraz admitted that it was a tough season where he played fewer tournaments than other players, but featured in a greater number of matches. Having said that, he added, “Many believe that this is a good calendar, but others think there are too many mandatory tournaments and there will probably be years with even more.” Alcaraz said that this is something which he feels in a way “killing” the players. But, how? “Right now, there are many players injured due to the calendar and other factors, but at some point, there will be players who will have to skip tournaments because they have to take care of their bodies, families, and other aspects of life besides tennis.“

Now, this statement has become more relevant than perhaps ever. Why? Well, for the first time in the tournament’s history, the Canadian Open will be held over two weeks this year as the ATP and WTA Tours continue their expansions for 1000-level tournaments to 12 days. This has indeed reduced the gap between Wimbledon and the North American hard-court swing. Hence, a lot of players, including Alcaraz, have withdrawn their names from the Canadian Open. Carlos Alcaraz had previously criticized two-week Masters 1000 events, and now, tennis expert Jon Wertheim shared a similar thought. During a recent episode of the Served podcast, he said, “There are a lot of things we can’t tinker with. There are some immutable forces, right? Gravity, time, the bond market. You know, you can’t make…these players are not robots.“

He further added, “Whether or not they get fined and whether or not it gets dressed up in a press release and whether or not it’s a really injury versus a bogus injury, they can’t play at the pace that you’re asking them to play. It’s just science, it’s just a force that you can’t mess with, and we can overlap these 10 and 12-day masters events.” He spoke about how players have to play under brutal conditions, and Wertheim claims it’s pretty disappointing to see this Canadian tournament running for around 12 days. 

As things stand, he worries that only Taylor Fritz could be the only top-five player playing in the tournament. What do others in the tennis world have to say on this, though?

In December 2024, during an interview, Andrea Gaudenzi, the Executive Chairman of the ATP Tour, stated that it’s not like football or basketball, where they are employed by a club; here, players are self-employed and hence they can decide their own schedule. “Yes, there is the ranking that makes them have to play, but it depends mainly on the big tournaments, the Grand Slams, the Masters 1000, and the ATP Finals,” he added. Having said that, he also raised a few question marks on players taking part in multiple exhibitions outside the circuit.

British tennis player Dan Evans also took a jibe at the players criticising the packed schedule. He said that tennis players are quite fortunate as they can decide whether to play or not to play, and the reason they still play is to pick up their bonus pool. He explained how there are a lot of people in the world struggling for work and hence, asked his peers to be a bit more careful while harping on about the tough schedule. It’s more about managing the schedule properly, according to Evans. But who are the other players who have recently pulled out their names from the Canadian Open?

Who other than Carlos Alcaraz has decided to skip the Canadian Open?

Several high-profile players have already withdrawn their names from the Canadian Open, and the list includes the likes of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Jack Draper as well on the men’s side. Talking about his withdrawal, Carlos Alcaraz’s fiercest rival, Sinner, who recently also clinched the Wimbledon title, said, “I’m really disappointed to be missing the National Bank Open in Toronto, especially as I have such fond memories of playing in Canada. Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me, but after speaking with my team, I have to prioritise my health…“

Sinner won the title in 2023, but last year he was knocked out of the tournament at the hands of Andrey Rublev in the QF. Even Novak Djokovic, who was seen struggling a bit after his nasty fall during his QF match against Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon, chose to take a break ahead of the mega battle in NY (US Open). 

Jack Draper revealed that he has picked up an injury in his left arm, although nothing serious, yet he wants to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season, and hence, this is the reason for his withdrawal.

On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka has joined the likes of Paula Badosa, Sonay Kartal, and a few others in the list of withdrawals from the Canadian event. “I’m looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to skip Montreal,” said Sabalenka in her statement. What are your thoughts on these successive withdrawals from the Canadian Open, though?