Ex-ATP Player Believes Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz Have Already Started to ‘Manage Their Workloads’ to Avoid Physical Setbacks

Jannik Sinner skipped the Canadian Open because this time, instead of chasing records, he prioritized his health before the US Open. Sinner missed an opportunity to chase the historic Golden Masters (winning every Masters 1000 in a calendar year).

Before defending his title at Wimbledon with a four-set win over Alexander Zverev, Sinner chose not to compete in any warm-up events on grass to focus on rest and recovery. Prior to the grass swing, he played in every Masters 1000, winning all.

But where the victory mattered the most, that is, at the French Open, he crashed out in the second round due to cramps. Had Sinner won the clay-court Major, he would have completed the Career Grand Slam.

His arch-rival, Carlos Alcaraz, has not played in any tournaments since injuring his wrist during the first round of the Barcelona Open. He too withdrew from the Canadian Open and is set to make his comeback at the Cincinnati Masters.

Now former player Kyle Edmund believes both Sinner and Alcaraz have started to manage their workloads to avoid physical setbacks.

I believe that, also due to the introduction of longer-format ATP tournaments, Jannik and Carlos have already started to manage their workloads. We see them choosing the events they participate in more carefully, also because their dominance allows them to do so.

Kyle Edmund told ATP Tour’s Beyond The Numbers

Before the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz played in Monte Carlo, Indian Wells, Miami Open, Qatar Open, and the Australian Open. He won the finals in Doha and Melbourne by beating Arthur Fils and Novak Djokovic, respectively. But in the Monte Carlo final, Sinner stopped him from defending the title.

The most important tournaments remain the priority: right now the focus is mainly on the Masters 1000 and the Slams. We see them much less in the other tournaments. They play significantly less than the others. If a young player were to ask me how many tournaments he should play in a season, I would say around 25-30. 

Kyle Edmund added

The US Open starts on August 30. Sinner will be chasing his second title, while Alcaraz will be chasing his third title in the tournament.

Kim Clijsters backed Jannik Sinner’s decision to skip the Canadian Open

There’s a great deal of discussion around Jannik Sinner‘s Canadian Open withdrawal due to the Golden Masters record. Some even criticized the five-time Grand Slam champion for his decision to skip the tournament. But Kim Clijsters backed the Italian for choosing to ignore records and focus on the tournament that matters most: the US Open.

I think he will break many records, or rather, he has already broken many. I think it’s very wise to focus on the essentials and not get distracted by the idea of being the first to do this or that. I simply think it’s a wise choice, but I’m sure it has not been easy.

Kim Clijsters said on the Love All podcast

Sinner has won the Canadian Open once. It was back in 2023 that he lifted his career’s first Masters 1000 title in the tournament but failed to defend it the following year, losing in the quarterfinals. Last year, the 25-year-old also skipped the event.

Sinner has lifted six titles this season already. After losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinal and to Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinal, Sinner completed the Sunshine Double, then won in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.

He will next be seen in action in Cincinnati. Last year, Sinner handed Alcaraz a walkover in the final due to illness.

Also read: Kim Clijsters Shares Her Take on Jannik Sinner’s Decision to Skip Canadian Open: “Something’s Going on Behind the Scenes”