Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner feel the brunt of gruelling Wimbledon campaigns as trio withdraw from key US Open prep tournament

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz have all withdrawn from the National Bank Open (Canadian Open), scheduled to start on July 26. The event is regarded as a major prep tournament for the US Open.

As per reports, the big reason for this withdrawal is their recovery after the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

Alcaraz, Djokovic, and Sinner were all part of the final-four that competed at Wimbledon earlier this month, where the 24-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated by Sinner in the semifinals. Notably, the Italian went on to win the Grand Slam and clinch his first Wimbledon title after beating Alcaraz in the final in four sets.

During his semifinal against Sinner, Novak Djokovic also struggled a lot with an injury in his leg. Therefore, after a tiresome Wimbledon campaign in the hot English summer, the Serb will not be competing at the National Bank Open in Montreal along with Sinner and Alcaraz.

In a statement, Sinner, who was the winner of the 2023 edition of the tournament, opened up about his decision and said (via Fox Sports):

"Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me, but after speaking with my team, I have to recover."

As per Marca, Alcaraz will not play in Canada, but should be in the field for the Cincinnati Open.

Indian Wells Masters champion and British No.1 Jack Draper is another top name who has withdrawn from this tournament. Draper had shared that he had picked up an injury in his arm after the Wimbledon Championships and needed some time to recover. He will not compete in Toronto or the Cincinnati Masters.

After the withdrawal of these top players from Toronto, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Holger Rune will be some of the major favorites to win this hard-court tournament.

Novak Djokovic spoke about his growing age after defeat to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon semis

Novak Djokovic (Image via: Getty)

Novak Djokovic shed light on his growing age after facing a defeat against Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals. The seven-time Wimbledon champion was beaten in straight sets.

In an interview after the match, Djokovic shared that he is facing the reality of his growing age currently and hasn't felt such, even during last year. He said (via ATP Tour):

"It's just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I'm taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest. It's tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I'm fresh, when I'm fit, I can still play really good tennis."

During the interview, Novak Djokovic also shared that he faces more difficulty during the latter stages of the tournament, where he mostly has to face young players such as Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz.

Edited by Tushar Bahl