The Canadian Open, which is split across Toronto and Montreal, with the men heading to Toronto this year, has already suffered a major blow with four players pulling out.

Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper all announced their withdrawals over the weekend, and Aussie star Jordan Thompson will also skip the event. And Alcaraz, who has not played in Canada since 2023, is set to join them.

According to Marca, the five-time Grand Slam champion will rest instead of heading to Toronto for the first Masters 1000 event of the North American swing. This year, the Canadian Open has been extended to a 96-player draw and will last 12 days instead of seven.

It means the tournament kicks off this weekend, only two weeks after the Wimbledon final, and ends on Thursday, August 7. With little time to recover from the grass-court Grand Slam tournament, plenty of players are opting to skip the Canadian Open altogether.

Sinner beat Alcaraz in four sets in the championship match at the All England Club just eight days ago, so it’s no surprise that both of them are keen to take some time off.

Djokovic lost in the semi-finals in SW19 and has not played in Canada since 2018, so it’s no surprise that he has also pulled out. Draper, meanwhile, has picked up an arm injury and will also miss the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati next month.

The tournament announced three of the withdrawals on social media on Sunday. “Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have been forced to withdraw from the 2025 National Bank Open in Toronto as they recover following Wimbledon. Jack Draper has also withdrawn due to injury,” they tweeted.

In a separate post, British No. 1 Draper wrote: “After Wimbledon I picked up an injury in my left arm, nothing serious, but I have to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete in Toronto and Cincinnati…. See you in NYC !”

Thompson retired injured from his fourth-round singles match against Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon earlier this month, throwing in the towel while trailing 6-1 3-0. He then pulled out of the doubles draw.

“Honestly, I feel like a bit of a p***y pulling out. I wouldn’t call it valiant,” he said after retiring in the last 16.

“Reaching up to get that lob, I don’t think that my back liked it very much, and neither did my legs. I had been thinking of not playing this tournament so I’m now just taking the positives. It’s my best result here, so it’s still a great tournament.”

Over in Montreal, which will stage the women’s event this year, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has already withdrawn after reaching the Wimbledon semi-final.