Jannik Sinner Set to Defend Title at Canadian Open Amid Doubts Over Top ATP Stars
Jannik Sinner is on course to return to action at the Canadian Open, having recovered from a recent illness. The defending champion, who has not competed since his quarter-final exit at Wimbledon, withdrew from the Swedish Open due to fatigue and pulled out of Italy’s Olympic squad on doctor’s advice.
Sinner expressed his disappointment, stating, “I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games. After a good week of clay training, I started to feel unwell. I spent a couple of days resting, and during a visit, the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing. Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season.”
Now fully recovered, the World No. 1 has arrived in Montreal for the ATP Masters 1000 event and resumed practice. “Good to start hitting again and looking forward to building from here,” he said in a post.
Sinner, who defeated Alex de Minaur in last year’s final, will be the top seed for his title defense. However, the participation of several top ATP stars remains uncertain due to the Paris Olympics. Novak Djokovic has already withdrawn from the tournament, and players like Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Tommy Paul are still competing at Roland Garros.
Those reaching the medal matches at the Olympics will face a tight schedule, rushing from Paris to Canada with little time to adjust to the hard courts of the Canadian Open, which starts on August 6. The top eight seeds, including Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, De Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Grigor Dimitrov, will receive a bye into the second round, giving them a slight edge in preparation.
As the North American hard-court swing begins, all eyes will be on whether Sinner can retain his title amidst the potential absence of several top competitors.
