"It makes it an easier no" - Andy Roddick speculates on why Carlos Alcaraz opted to skip the Canadian Open

After his devastating loss in the final of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz has chosen to take some time away from the ATP Tour. The Spaniard announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Canadian Open, prompting retired American pro Andy Roddick to weigh in on why Alcaraz would skip such an important stop during the season.

An ATP Masters 1000 event, the Canadian Open features the top-ranked players battling it out for the distinguished title. Australian Alexei Popyrin is the defending champion, with the likes of Jannik Sinner, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic having all prevailed there in the past.

Having already won five titles this year, Alcaraz has had a grueling first half of the season. The World No.2 was the last man standing at Rotterdam, Monte Carlo and Rome, before winning another Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Alcaraz would also clinch the title at the Queen's Club Championships, but fall to rival Jannik Sinner in the final of the Wimbledon Championships.

It comes as no surprise that Alcaraz would take some time to recharge ahead of the North American hard court summer. The 22-year old announced his withdrawal from the Canadian Open, and is currently scheduled to compete at only the subsequent Cincinnati Open before trying to capture the last Grand Slam title of the season at the US Open.

The 2003 US Open champion addressed Alcaraz's decision to skip the Canadian Open on his podcast, Served with Andy Roddick. The retired American believes Alcaraz's withdrawal was more of a tactical decision, as rivals Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper have all withdrawn from the Toronto Masters in an attempt to conserve energy for Flushing Meadows.

"I know that we have added a week but they combine them into three weeks," said Roddick. "I do think this is one of the problems with playing every event over the course of 10-12 days.
"It’s easier to commit to two weeks Cincinnati and Toronto and if you play well in one of them then great, than coming over weeks earlier than you were supposed to.
"When you extend the runway further into the summer away from the US Open, I think it makes it an easier no for some of the top players who have had success recently."