The 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers will be without two of tennis’ biggest stars after Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic officially withdrew from the tournament.
Tennis Canada confirmed the withdrawals on Friday, making Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime the second-highest-ranked player in the tournament field – although the official seedings won’t be confirmed for a few more days.
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Sinner, the reigning Wimbledon champion, said the decision was made to prioritize his health.
“After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal. It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future,” Sinner said.
The Italian reached the quarterfinals during his last appearance in Montreal in 2024 before losing to eventual finalist Andrey Rublev. Djokovic did not provide a public statement as part of Friday’s announcement.
In July, Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semifinals, where Sinner ended his run. Over the course of his career, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has won 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles, including four at the NBO.
“We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montréal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto. We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority,” said Valérie Tétreault, Tournament Director. “That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport. Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world’s best compete. We are already in discussions with the ATP to ensure this matter receives serious consideration. We firmly believe adjustments are needed in the near future to better protect the integrity of our Masters 1000 events while remaining mindful of the realities players face.”
Alexander Zverev is expected to be the NBO’s first seed.
