On August 13, 2026, world number three tennis player Alexander Zverev proposed that cutting Masters tournaments back to one week would assist players in maintaining their fitness and lessen the need to be selective about which events they compete in. Zverev, the French Open champion, who recently lost his opening match in Montreal, remarked, "I think that's what two-week events do," referring to the extended duration of current Masters tournaments.
The crowded North American tennis calendar has led to notable withdrawals, including Jannik Sinner, who pulled out of the Canadian Open to prioritise his health after retaining his Wimbledon title, and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, who also skipped the U.S. Open. Carlos Alcaraz has been absent due to a wrist injury since April. These absences left the Canadian Open without three of the sport's top names, mirroring last year's situation.
Zverev highlighted the challenge for top players, stating, "If you play everything and you're a top player, you spend seven weeks here in North America. That is quite a long time and I think that's why a lot of top players choose not to play Canada for multiple years now. That's unfortunately the sad reality of it."
Since 2025, seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events have been held over 12 days, with only the Monte-Carlo and Paris Masters still played over a single week. While players have criticised the extended events, the ATP maintains that players choose their own schedules and is working to create incentives for an appropriate number of matches to be played during the season.
Loading comments.