As of this Friday, Carlos Alcaraz had just one medical examination left to get the green light for his long-awaited comeback. After nearly 3 months away from court, fans were eager to see him return at the Montreal Masters before defending his title at the US Open. But that wait may stretch a little longer, with the Spaniard’s comeback at risk of being delayed once again.

Turns out, the 23-year-old Spaniard might not be travelling to North America for the National Bank Open after Tennis Canada officially revealed the player entry list for this year’s tournament on July 9th, without the Spaniard on the list.

For Alcaraz, though, the latest update is another setback to his return timeline. There had already been signs that the current world No. 2 was moving in the right direction with his recovery.

A couple of weeks ago, Alcaraz shared a video on IG where he was seen holding the racket in his right hand again and gently hitting balls. It looked like a positive step in his return process.

However, that practice progress has not yet translated into a comeback for him. Alcaraz has yet to state the exact reason for his withdrawal, but it is likely that he has faced some hurdles in his recovery and might remain sidelined for longer than anticipated.

Even hometown favourite Victoria Mboko also announced her withdrawal on Tuesday from the tournament. She will miss the event because of a knee injury she picked up during the Queens. In Alcaraz’s case, the timing is especially notable because his final medical update has still not arrived yet. 

While the seven-time Grand Slam winner might be absent, the Masters 1000 event will still start with a stacked field this year. 

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are set to headline this year’s Canadian Masters

Despite the Spaniard’s absence from the entry list, the Canadian Masters is still preparing to welcome the world’s best men’s players. The ATP field includes 71 of the top 72 players alongside two competitors entering with a protected ranking. 

Among the biggest headliners is current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The Italian is unbeaten in ATP Masters 1000 events this season and arrives in Canada carrying serious momentum. The top seed, who lifted the National Bank Open title back in 2023, will now look to extend that run at a tournament he has already won before.

Joining him is the 2017 National Bank Open champion and current World No. 3 Alexander Zverev. Canada will also have a strong local interest through the current world No. 4 Félix Auger-Aliassime.

The main draw of the Masters event will also include four former champions who have already lifted the trophy in Canada. Defending champion and current world No. 5 Ben Shelton is one of them. The Serbian icon Novak Djokovic, the Russian Daniil Medvedev, and Pablo Carreño Busta are the others.

And with the American hard-court swing about to begin after SW19 ends this Sunday, the timing feels perfect. Fans are now excited to see tennis back on hard courts, and the big names returning to North America for the last major swing of the year.