Tournament Director Reveals What He Told Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner After They Withdrew from Canadian Open

Jannik Sinner will only meet Carlos Alcaraz at the Cincinnati Open if both of them reach the championship clash.

Tournament Director Reveals What He Told Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner After They Withdrew from Canadian Open

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Univers Tennis)

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz returned to action in Cincinnati for the Masters 1000 tournament, their first event since Wimbledon. There, Alcaraz failed to complete his three-peat with a four-set defeat to the World No.1.

As expected, they skipped the ATP 500 Citi Open. They were next scheduled to play the Canadian Open, but both of them chose to withdraw to recharge their batteries.

The Canadian Open saw mass withdrawals, as apart from these two, several other top players prioritized rest and recovery. The absence of Sinner and Alcaraz disappointed tournament director Karl Hale. During the Nothing Major podcast, Hale revealed he had urged both the young rivals to compete in the tournament next year.

I actually told them because we were in talks when they withdrew, and we talked to them for several days. I said ‘Okay, we are here in 2026. You’re going to be in Montreal. And just make sure that happens!’ I am very, very confident that they will be in Montreal next year.

From this year onward, both ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati will be held for 12 days, joining five other Masters 1000 events. This decision drew criticism from players as they think the governing bodies have only increased the already packed 11-month calendar.

I do not think it’s an issue because of what we are doing with the Tours and bonus pools and all of those things, and also the three weeks between our tournaments next year.

Karl Hale added

In Cincinnati, while Sinner dismantled his opening-round opponent, Daniel Elahi Galan, the Spaniard will be starting his campaign against Damir Dzumhur. The World No.2 holds a 1-0 head-to-head record over Dzumhur, whom he defeated in the third round of this year’s French Open.

Sinner, in Cincinnati, is bidding to defend his title. Last year, Frances Tiafoe was his opponent in the final. Alcaraz, too, has played the Cincinnati final in 2023, but he failed to beat 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who hasn’t yet played in the event since that match. Last year in Cincinnati, Gael Monfils eliminated the 22-year-old in his opening-round match.

The Spaniard is aiming to win his sixth title of the season after wins in the Rotterdam Open, Monte Carlo, Rome, Paris, and at the Queen’s Club Championships. Apart from these titles, the World No.2 also reached the Barcelona Open and the Wimbledon finals. Sinner has so far played four finals and lifted the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Riccardo Piatti thinks Jannik Sinner will not be completing the Career Grand Slam in the near future

Jannik Sinner needs only the French Open to complete the Career Grand Slam. He came close to the title this season, as against Carlos Alcaraz in the final, he had a 2-0 lead and also three championship points in the fourth set.

Jannik Sinner (2)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner)

But the four-time Grand Slam champion squandered both and lost the final. His former coach, Riccardo Piatti, thinks the 23-year-old may not lift the French Open in the next few years. He told La Stampa:

Jannik has taken a big step forward this past year. He’s also become very competitive on the clay-court tour. He’s realized that in the next six or seven years, he’ll have the opportunity to complete the Grand Slam. This is something I’ve always thought about.

Alcaraz, too, needs just one more Major to complete the Career Grand Slam. It’s the Australian Open, where the five-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t yet progressed beyond the quarterfinals. This season in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic ended his run in the last eight.

But at present, both youngsters will focus on winning the Cincinnati Masters, after which, they will head to New York for the last Grand Slam tournament of the season – the US Open. The South Tyrol native will be bidding to defend his title (beat home favorite Taylor Fritz last year). Alcaraz won at Flushing Meadows in 2022, but last year, he suffered a shock second-round exit.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev Warns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner About the Rise of “a Third Candidate”