We will discuss with the players and the ATP to find solutions," the Toronto tournament director addresses the absence of top names on the tour
The Toronto Masters 1000 began nearly a week ago with a slew of high-profile absences in the main draw, starting with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Jack Draper.
Other players later joined the long list of withdrawals from the Canadian event. Tournament director Karl Hale, speaking to the media yesterday, addressed this unprecedented situation:
"We were obviously disappointed by the withdrawals, but on Sunday, all matches were sold out before we even knew the schedule. This shows the growth of tennis in the market. We are in constant contact with the ATP and the players, and we will discuss solutions.
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi will be here this week, and we will discuss improvements to the new 12-day format. For now, we are very satisfied, but discussions are ongoing.
National Bank Open