"Maybe he's simply not ready, physically or mentally": Jannik Sinner backed by Kim Clijsters amid Canadian Open withdrawal
ATPThursday, 30 July 2026 at 21:26
The Canadian Open will not feature Jannik Sinner as he has since withdrawn from the tournament. It surprised many observers as he was aiming for a historic Masters 1000 run this season, he ultimately chose to postpone his return until Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati Open at the moment will also feature Carlos Alcaraz who is stepping up his return as of late including brand new hair and has been seen in training videos. Sinner though was more of a shock and leads the field for Canada vastly depleted.
Something that Kim Clijsters admitted isn't too much of a shock in reality. She said that in theory due to the recent Wimbledon win, he may have just decided to do similar to others including for instance Aryna Sabalenka and decide for further time off to reset.
But also might be not ready physically and mentally to come back. Clijsters speculated that perhaps something may have happened behind the scenes.
Read also
His team likely would have thought about it for a long time - Clijsters
Also though, she speculated that perhaps his team have thought about it for a long time and was part of their overall schedule. She added that the US Open in reality likely was his main goal and that he will break many more records come what may.
“I think it shows that maybe something is happening behind the scenes. Maybe he’s simply not ready, physically or mentally, after winning Wimbledon, to immediately come back to such intense competition," said Clijsters on Love All.
“Because these tournaments happen in a very short window. You play a lot of tennis, very intense matches, and I think it’s a really smart choice.
"Knowing his team around him, Darren and the way they work, I’m sure they thought about it for a long time.
"When you make these decisions, you always keep in mind what comes next, and winning the US Open is obviously his main goal.
"I think he’s going to break many more records, in fact he’s already broken many. I think it’s very smart to focus on what really matters and not get distracted by the idea of being the world No. 1 who does this or that. I think it was a very wise choice, even though I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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mandoist29-07-2026 - CORRECTION Required: Jannik is WORLD NO. 1 and not 2. "The same can be said for Sinner and Djokovic. The """"World No.2""""" cited health reasons for not going, preserving his body for the Cincinnati Open ahead of the important US Open. If he was set to participate in both, it would be a lot of tennis with him likely to win both tournaments ahead of the trip to Flushing Meadows."J29-07-2026
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