Alcaraz pulls out of Montreal Masters as Sinner arrives to defend title

World No 3 Carlos Alcaraz has become the second big-name player to pull out of the National Bank Open ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

The Spaniard, who has won Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this year, joins world No 1 Novak Djokovic on the sidelines for the tournament, which runs from August 6 to August 12. The 21-year-old is through to the semi-finals of the ongoing Paris Olympics.

“It has been a very long season for me and due to the accumulation of matches and fatigue, I will not be able to play in Montreal this year,” Alcaraz said in a statement. “I was really looking forward to coming back to Canada and enjoying the love of the fans. Hope to see everyone in Montreal in the years to come!!”

The Spaniard reached the quarter-finals of the tournament in 2023, his best showing in two appearances. Jiri Lehecka and Francisco Cerundolo have also withdrawn from the event and as a result, Marcos Giron, Alexei Popyrin, and Flavio Cobolli have moved into the main draw.

Sinner starts hitting again as he prepares to defend title

Meanwhile, world No 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew from the Paris Olympics due to tonsilitis, has arrived in Montreal and looks set to compete there.

Sinner, winner of the Australian Open in January, is the defending champion, having defeated Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-1 to win his first ATP Masters Series title.

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