"It's so bad" - John Isner slams North American scheduling as Alcaraz slumps out of Toronto

The tennis schedule is packed to the brim with tournaments and events, and it is starting to catch up with the top players. Many fans and players criticised the North American season, which has two Masters 1000 events and a Grand Slam packed in the space of a month, with John Isner one of the frustrated figures after Carlos Alcaraz, among others, dropped out of the Canadian Open.

The Spaniard has had a busy year, having played in 11 tournaments in the space of seven months. In that time period, he has won two Masters 1000 titles and reached two Grand Slam finals. The first one was in Paris, where he took down his arch-rival Jannik Sinner in five sets and over five hours.

He failed to replicate the success at Wimbledon, where Sinner got his revenge in Alcaraz's first Grand Slam final loss, something that is tough to swallow for the 22-year-old, not just physically but also mentally.

This has resulted in his dropping out of the Canadian Open, held in Toronto this year. He has been joined by Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper, who eye a break before another busy but important period in the tennis schedule.

Many fans have been left frustrated that some of the top tennis players in the world are not participating in Toronto, despite the pedigree of the event. Due to how many events are packed into such a small window, it is understandable why so many have not made the trip.

Now with 10-day tournaments, athletes have to play more games and spend more time sitting around between events, with them sometimes getting a day break between matches.

With all of this going on, tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg shared a statement on X which read: "As we are both midway through Canada and on the cusp of Cincinnati, thoughts on how the newly revamped North American summer schedule is working out so far, tennis fans?"

To this, former American tennis player Isner replied: "It's so bad."

The changes for the Masters 1000 tournaments have cost Toronto and the attending fans the chance to witness the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, and it looks like it may continue like that.

The amount of tennis being played has finally caught up to the number two in the world, who took the sensible decision to withdraw from the Canadian Open. The five-time Grand Slam winner is eyeing up a sixth at Flushing Meadows, the place where he won his first major back in 2022.

Alcaraz shared a statement on why he was not participating in Canada. He said: "After many consecutive weeks of competition without rest, I will not be able to play in Toronto this year. I have small muscle issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada I am very sorry, I will see you next year!”

With nine Masters 1000 events across the year, on top of Grand Slams and exhibitions, the players do not get much downtime, especially the best players in the world. The Spaniard has voiced his wishes for more time off, as he said: "We’re trying to change the schedule a bit, seeing if they can remove more tournaments so we can have more rest time, more vacation time. It’s not easy, but we’re trying.”

Alcaraz will only play one hard-court tournament ahead of the US Open, which will be in Cincinnati. He will be joined by Sinner in the USA, but both Draper and Djokovic will again miss the 1000 event as they look to keep their bodies fresh for the US Open.