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When the Omnium Banque National in Montreal released the list of its projected 16 seeds, based on Monday’s updated ATP rankings, it definitely felt like they were almost jinxing the whole thing.
There are always withdrawals. But this year, with the Olympic Games coming into make the Canadian events’ lives miserable and turn the tournament calendar jam-packed and shambolic, that’s especially so.
And so, that list is already out of date, as projected No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic is officially out of the event, which has an unusual Tuesday start this year because of the Games.
🌱 The seeds are set for the #NBO24🌱
— Omnium Banque Nationale (@OBNmontreal) July 29, 2024
1⃣ Jannik Sinner
2⃣ Novak Djokovic
3⃣ Carlos Alcaraz
4⃣ Alexander Zverev
5⃣ Daniil Medvedev
6⃣ Alex De Minaur
7⃣ Hubert Hurkacz
8⃣ Andrey Rublev
Get the full list of all 16 seeds 👉 https://t.co/GTvrDbzJxN pic.twitter.com/6aV0iM5EcZ
(They did update it after the Djokovic withdrawal announcement)
Official quote from tournament director Valérie Tétreault:
“While we’re disappointed that Novak will be unable to take part in this year’s tournament, we understand his decision and wish him the best at the Olympics and the remainder of his season,. He’s an incredible player, and we know our fans were excited to have him back at IGA Stadium this summer. That being said, our tournament still boasts an exceptional list of players for this year’s event with 42 of the 43 best players in the world, and we can’t wait to see them in action soon.”
Feels like tempting fate, that.
Tétreault had warned in an interview earlier this summer that Djokovic was definitely going to be a game-time decision, of sorts, to be confirmed or decided once they were through Wimbledon and into the Olympic event. It was always a bit of a long shot.
The fact that going to hard courts from the red clay of Roland Garros is the third major surface change in a month just makes the whole thing even more challenging.
Especially for those who go deep in Paris. They won’t have much turnaround time.
Roman Safiullin gets into the main draw after the withdrawal.
Another scratch is Argentine Federico Coria, who is out of the qualifying – and also out of Washington this week – with a shoulder injury.
Canadian event gets the short stick
Open Court’s favorite wish – that Canada and Cincinnati swap weeks every year so that Canada is not always first and Cincinnati second – has never been more of a fervent desire than this year.
And next year, when both tournaments expand to 12 days and 96-players, with an overlap and Wednesday finals in Canada. That is going to, well, suck. Not only will the tournament start in late July instead of August, it’s going to be very tempting for players who’ve had a packed spring and early summer to think that they don’t need back-to-back – and piggybacked – Masters 1000 tournaments before the US Open. Which is already, with all the extra things they do, a three-week grind.
Cincinnati, which is already expanding with more space and more practice courts, will be less of a squeeze than the Canadian events. And will still leave a week before the final Grand Slam of the season.
Who else is on the fence?
Well, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner missed the Olympics because of tonsillitis.
New No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz may have (hopes he has) a very busy week ahead between trying to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles.
No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who lost in mixed doubles on Monday at the Olympics but is still in singles despite a bone bruise and a torn capsule in his knee, might be at the end of his physical rope if he makes a major run and need a break.
No. 5 Alex de Minaur, who injured his adductor at Wimbledon, was a late withdrawal from singles at the Olympics although he did play (and lost) in the doubles.
No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz missed the Olympics, and had a knee procedure during Wimbledon.
No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov just withdrew from the Washington, D.C. event with a shoulder injury.
And Holger Rune, bumped up to the No. 16 seed, also pulled out of the Olympics with a wrist injury that is not anything brand new. But as we’ve seen with other players dealing with a wrist, it’s nothing to be trifled with.
And that is just the seeds.
If you agree with the assumption that none of the player withdrew from the Olympics because they didn’t want to jeopardize … Montreal or Cincinnati, then it stands to reason that they won’t all make the date.
Not the first “non Big-Three” rodeo
Despite the fact that they might not all make it, it’s still going to be a great event.
It’s a top-level tournament and there will be a ton of watchable, entertaining players – including plenty of Canadian content.
It also won’t be the first rodeo for the tournament as a “Big Three-Free” tournament, since none of the co-GOATS were on hand last year when No. 7 seed Jannik Sinner won in Toronto.
The top three seeds were Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Casper Ruud.
In 2022 Medvedev, Alcaraz and Tsitsipas were the top three.
In 2021, Nadal was on the entry list, but withdrew due to his left foot issue.
In 2019, Nadal won it (but was the only one of the three), followed by a cancelled event in 2020. He also won it in 2018, with Djokovic, the No. 9 seed that year, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.
In 2017, the tournament had Federer and Nadal. In 2016, only Djokovic – who won it.
It’s crazy to think that the last time the National Bank Open – then the Rogers Cup – had all three Big 3ers was … 2011. They also had Andy Murray, if you want to expand the description. Nadal (to … Ivan Dodig!) and Murray (to Kevin Anderson) lost their openers; Federer lost in the third round to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. And Djokovic won it.
In short, the Canadian event has long been missing those legendary players, to some extent or another.
And yet, it has done nothing but grow in popularity and appeal through all those years.
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