Amid withdrawals from Carlos Alcaraz and other top stars from the Canada Open, former player John Isner lambasted the hectic North American summer schedule that ends at the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year. Alcaraz had an amazing run at Wimbledon, but suffered defeat to his arch nemesis Jannik Sinner in the finals.
Alcaraz, who won the ATP Rotterdam, Monte Carlo Masters, Italian Open, and Queen's Club titles, along with his fifth victory at the French Open, played last in the grass-court season. On the other hand, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and British No.1 Jack Draper pulled themselves out of the ongoing Toronto Masters.
Amid the chaos, Journalist Ben Rothenberg shared a post on X, asking enthusiasts and fans whether they were enjoying the season.
"As we are both midway through Canada and on the cusp of Cincinnati, thoughts on how the newly revamped North American summer schedule is working out so far, tennis fans?"
Replying to him, former player John Isner criticized the schedule, saying:
"It's so bad"
The Canada Open usually sums up in a week, but this year, it has been extended to 12 days. The tournament has started just two weeks after the completion of Wimbledon and will conclude on August 7, the same day the Cincinnati Open gets underway. Many players, including American No.1 Taylor Fritz, highlighted the lengthy season and noted that players were not getting enough breaks.
Carlos Alcaraz to miss ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto due to health issues
Carlos Alcaraz is going through the form of his life in the 2025 season, as he only faced an early exit at the Miami Open. Ahead of his final outing for a Grand Slam, he will look to win his second US Open title, The Spanish player informed his supporters that he would withdraw from Toronto.
"After many consecutive weeks of competition without rest, I will not be able to play in Toronto this year. I have small muscle issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada I am very sorry, I will see you next year!”
Earlier, Alcaraz voiced the sentiments of other players and shared his views that players get minimal time and inadequate rest between tournaments.
We're trying to change the schedule a bit, seeing if they can remove more tournaments so we can have more rest time, more vacation time. It’s not easy, but we’re trying.”
Carlos Alcaraz will be seen in action at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati alongside Jannik Sinner, But, Djkovic made a surprising withdrawal from the US Open warm-up outing.