Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 Canadian Open.
By doing so, the world number one forfeited his chance to become the first player to win all nine Masters 1000 titles in a calendar year.
Sinner has already won Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Madrid Open, and the Italian Open this season, but can now only win a maximum of eight titles in 2026.
Jannik Sinner forfeits his chance at Masters 1000 history… What do you make of this decision? 😬
Which would, in fairness, still be a record…
Novak Djokovic’s six Masters 1000 titles in a year is the current record
In 2015, Novak Djokovic won six of the nine Masters 1000 titles, a record that has stood for over a decade.
2015 Masters 1000 events
| Event | Champion | Runner-up | Semi-finalists |
| Indian Wells | Novak Djokovic | Roger Federer | Andy Murray, Milos Raonic |
| Miami Open | Novak Djokovic | Andy Murray | John Isner, Tomas Berdych |
| Monte Carlo Masters | Novak Djokovic | Tomas Berdych | Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils |
| Madrid Open | Andy Murray | Rafael Nadal | Tomas Berdych, Kei Nishikori |
| Italian Open | Novak Djokovic | Roger Federer | David Ferrer, Stan Wawrinka |
| Canadian Open | Andy Murray | Novak Djokovic | Jeremy Chardy, Kei Nishikori |
| Cincinnati Open | Roger Federer | Novak Djokovic | Alexandr Dolgopolov, Andy Murray |
| Shanghai Masters | Novak Djokovic | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal |
| Paris Masters | Novak Djokovic | Andy Murray | Stan Wawrinka, David Ferrer |
The Serb reached eight of the nine finals, winning titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome, Shanghai, and Paris.
Djokovic is also one of three players to have won five titles in a calendar year, alongside Sinner and Rafael Nadal.
Best Masters 1000 campaigns
- Novak Djokovic (2015) – 6 titles
- Novak Djokovic (2011) – 5 titles
- Rafael Nadal (2013) – 5 titles
- Jannik Sinner (2026) – 5 titles*
- Roger Federer (2005) – 4 titles
- Roger Federer (2006) – 4 titles
- Novak Djokovic (2014) – 4 titles
- Novak Djokovic (2016) – 4 titles
- Rafael Nadal (2005) – 4 titles
Sinner only needs to win one of the final three Masters 1000 events this year: Cincinnati, Shanghai, or Paris, to tie Djokovic on six titles, and would need two to take the record for himself.
2026 Masters 1000 events
| Event | Champion | Runner-up | Semi-finalists |
| Indian Wells | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev |
| Miami Open | Jannik Sinner | Jiri Lehecka | Arthur Fils, Alexander Zverev |
| Monte Carlo Masters | Jannik Sinner | Carlos Alcaraz | Valentin Vacherot, Alexander Zverev |
| Madrid Open | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | Arthur Fils, Alexander Blockx |
| Italian Open | Jannik Sinner | Casper Ruud | Daniil Medvedev, Luciano Darderi |
| Canadian Open | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Cincinnati Open | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Shanghai Masters | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Paris Masters | TBD | TBD | TBD |
The Italian will fancy his chances of doing so, having previously won all three titles.
Sinner won the Cincinnati Open and the Shanghai Masters in 2024 and won his first Paris Masters title last October.
Still, even if Sinner does match or break Djokovic’s record, many will be left wondering why he didn’t go for all nine.
Why Jannik Sinner has skipped the Canadian Open
In a statement released by the official tournament website, Sinner explained why he withdrew from Montreal.
“It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritise my health. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future,” he said.
Some have questioned Sinner’s decision to withdraw, given the lack of matches he’s played over recent months.
Since May 18, Sinner has only played two tournaments and nine matches.
Who is the best hard-court player in tennis today?
The US Open is right around the corner…
However, that doesn’t quite tell the full story, as the Italian played a heavy schedule at the beginning of the year.
Winning five Masters 1000 titles, Sinner pushed his body to the absolute limit.
Many expected him to withdraw from Madrid or Rome earlier in the season, but he chose to compete and reaped the rewards.
Although there is an argument to be made that ‘overplaying’ cost Sinner when he arrived in Paris, looking to complete his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
Sinner suffered a shock defeat while up two sets to love against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round.
Perhaps he had that result in mind when he decided to pull out of this year’s Canadian Open.
Reclaiming the US Open title he lost to Carlos Alcaraz last season is Sinner’s number-one priority, and he doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that.
Sinner will return to action ahead of the US Open at the Cincinnati Open, which begins on Thursday, August 13.
