The world tennis elite is going through a critical period of physical exhaustion, which has led to shocking changes in the midst of the summer hard-court season.
The big news of the last few hours has fans on their toes: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka have officially withdrawn from the prestigious Canadian Open tournament. The decision of the two superstars to skip the competition in Canada (held between August 2 and 13) has raised the question of what is happening to the leaders in the tour and how much their participation in the last Grand Slam tournament of the year in New York is in jeopardy.
Alcaraz's injury: The wrist dictates the rules again
Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz, who started the year with a bang with a triumph at the 2026 Australian Open to shape his career Grand Slam, faced with a harsh reality. A persistent wrist injury that sidelined him during the clay season and ruled him out of Roland Garros and Wimbledon continues to cause serious problems. According to information from the BBC Sports (bbc.com/sport/tennis), Alcaraz's medical staff has assessed that the risk of complications on the hard courts in Canada is too high. His staff's goal is a full recovery for the US Open, where he is due to defend his title.
Sabalenka's tactical retreat: Recharging for New York
The situation with the leader in the WTA rankings Arina Sabalenka is different, but no less worrying. The Belarusian, who has racked up a huge number of matches since the start of the season (36 wins and only 3 losses) and recently celebrated her 100th week at the top, is suffering from serious fatigue. After her unexpected elimination in the round of 16 of Wimbledon 2026 by Naomi Osaka, Sabalenka openly told the media that she needed to “forget about tennis for a while“. Her decision to cancel the tournament in Canada is purely strategic – she wants to avoid a physical breakdown and attack a third consecutive singles title in New York.
Light in the tunnel: The surprising alliance of Sabalenka and Djokovic
Although Sabalenka and Alcaraz are missing Canada, the organizers of the US Open found a way to compensate fans with a spectacular piece of news. It was officially confirmed that Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic will play together in the Mixed Doubles in New York. The changed format of the tournament, which will be held the week before the singles matches, has attracted record interest thanks to huge financial incentives from the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The association's director Craig Tiley confirmed to the Olympics website (olympics.com/en/news) that this star tandem is guaranteed, while Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Sinner (who also withdrew from Canada) are currently missing from the doubles lists due to their desire to conserve their strength.
At the moment, the tennis public remains awaiting the next steps of Alcaraz, with Spanish media suggesting he may make a one-off attempt at playing practice at the Cincinnati Masters in mid-August before making a final decision about the US Open.