The 2026 Canadian Open opened its doors this week in Montreal (ATP) and Toronto (WTA) with a glaring absence: for the second consecutive year, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, the three biggest names in world tennis, will not set foot on Canadian courts. In total, sixteen top players are missing from this joint Masters 1000 event. Yet the opening rounds have already delivered quality moments and unexpected results.
Three notable absences, three different reasons
Sinner, the world number one, cited workload management as his reason for declining, despite organizers widening the gap between Wimbledon and Montreal to three weeks. Djokovic adopted the same approach, preferring to preserve his body ahead of Cincinnati and the US Open. Alcaraz faces a different situation: the Spaniard continues rehabilitating the right wrist tenosynovitis sustained in Barcelona in April, which has already cost him Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. His return is expected at Cincinnati in mid-August.
On the WTA side, the Toronto draw has also been weakened by the withdrawals of Emma Raducanu, suffering from a stress fracture in her right tibia, and Karolina Muchova, who underwent surgery two weeks ago.
Monfils lights up the Montreal night at 39
Against this backdrop, Gaël Monfils provided the standout moment of the opening days. At 39, the Frenchman defeated Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 6-4 on Monday evening to claim his first tour-level win since Monte-Carlo in April. For his fifteenth and final appearance at the Canadian Open, Monfils became the second-oldest man to win a match at this event. The Montreal crowd, who stayed until midnight, gave him a standing ovation worthy of the occasion. He faces 12th seed Learner Tien in the second round.
Navone springs an upset against Berrettini
The other standout result came on Rogers Court, where Argentina's Mariano Navone eliminated Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 in a match spanning over three hours. Navone saved 11 of his 12 break points faced, turning the Italian's biggest weapon against him in a rain-interrupted contest. The victory, his 19th of the 2026 season and a personal best, sends the Argentine into the second round against 14th seed Valentin Vacherot.
Zverev and Auger-Aliassime carry the torch
In the absence of the top trio, Alexander Zverev inherits the role of top seed in Montreal. The German is joined among the leading contenders by Felix Auger-Aliassime, the hometown hero carrying Canadian hopes throughout the fortnight. In Toronto, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek begin their campaigns on Tuesday, with the Pole opening during the day session and the Belarusian headlining the night session.
A deeper debate about the calendar
The repeated absences of top players at the Canadian Open reignite the debate over the density of the summer schedule. Organizers adjusted the calendar to attract the headliners, to no avail. The proximity to Cincinnati (August 13) and the US Open (August 30) forces players to make tough choices, and Montreal remains the sacrificed link in this North American trilogy. This pattern could accelerate discussions about ATP calendar reform as early as 2027.
Key figures from the opening rounds
The 2026 Canadian Open brings together the best available players across two distinct venues. Monfils claimed his first tour win since April at 39 years and 5 months old. Navone boasts 19 wins in 2026 after his upset of Berrettini. Sixteen top-50 players are absent across both draws. Zverev is the top seed in Montreal, Sabalenka the top seed in Toronto.
