Toronto, Canada –
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz has officially pulled out of the upcoming National
Bank Open, becoming the latest high-profile name to skip the ATP Masters
1000 event slated for July 27 to August 7 in Toronto.
The 22-year-old Spaniard announced his withdrawal on
Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter), citing “small muscle issues” and the
need to recover both physically and mentally after a demanding stretch of the
tennis calendar.
“After many consecutive weeks of competition without
rest, I will not be able to play in Toronto this year,” Alcaraz wrote. “I have
small muscles 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!”
Alcaraz’s absence follows a string of other elite
player withdrawals, including World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Novak
Djokovic, Jack Draper of Great Britain, and Jordan Thompson
of Australia—all of whom were confirmed out on Sunday.
Alcaraz is coming off a successful run at Roland
Garros, where he claimed the French Open title in June. However, he
fell short of a historic Wimbledon three-peat after losing to Sinner in the
final.
With the U.S. Open beginning on August 25,
several players are opting to skip Toronto in favor of rest and preparation.
The decision underlines the physical toll of the summer tennis schedule,
especially after back-to-back Grand Slam events.
In Alcaraz’s absence, World No. 3 Alexander Zverev
of Germany will now be the top seed in Toronto, followed by World No. 4
Taylor Fritz of the United States as the second seed.
Sinner, the 2023 National Bank Open champion in
Toronto, will also not defend his title this year. Last year’s event in
Montreal was won by Alexei Popyrin of Australia.
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