Novak Djokovic pulled out of the National Bank Open on Friday without so much as a sentence about why. His name simply came off the entry list a week before the Montreal Masters 1000 begins on August 1.
For Djokovic, that is unusual.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew the same day and at least explained himself. “It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health,” the Wimbledon champion said in a statement. Djokovic said nothing. Tennis Canada announced his withdrawal on his behalf, and that was the extent of it.
No comment from the sport’s biggest talker
Djokovic has not played a competitive match since Sinner beat him 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Wimbledon semifinals. Since then he has been photographed on a family holiday in Montenegro, in beach settings that would not usually invite tennis questions.
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What is missing is any word from him about his body, his rhythm, or his plan for the summer hard-court swing. Djokovic normally frames every absence, every injury, every ambition in his own voice, often at length. Since Wimbledon, there has been none of that.
Tetreault: “A broader issue for our sport”
The Montreal tournament director, Valerie Tetreault, made no attempt to hide her frustration. “We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montreal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto,” she told reporters.
She went further, calling the pattern of late pull-outs “a broader issue for our sport” and confirming Tennis Canada is in discussions with the ATP about it. Carlos Alcaraz was already out with a wrist injury, leaving the event without its three biggest draws. Alexander Zverev inherits the No. 1 seed.
Adam Zagoria at Forbes labeled the situation an “absolute disaster” for the newly extended 12-day Masters 1000 format.
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Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows still on the list
The 39-year-old Serb remains on the entry list for the Cincinnati Open, which starts on August 13, and for the US Open beginning August 30. Djokovic has skipped the National Bank Open before, most recently in 2025 in Toronto, and it has never been a favorite stop on his calendar.
But if he holds to the current plan, he will arrive in New York without a competitive match since July 10, chasing the 25th Grand Slam that has now eluded him for nearly three years.
Fans and analysts are left to interpret the silence for themselves – something that has been unusual in Djokovic’s career.
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