The ATP Tour has come under much scrutiny recently after a wave of criticism regarding their scheduling.

Recently, the ATP tour was told their schedule does not work, after numerous high-profile players withdrew from the Canadian Open.

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper all withdrew from the tournament before the start date. All players cited injury as the reason for their withdrawals.

Jannik Sinner of Italy with the winners trophy is congratulated by Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, at the trophy presentations after the Gentlemen's Singles Final on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on July 13th, 2025, in London, England.Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images

The withdrawals have raised concerns regarding the scheduling, and the ATP Tour chairman has weighed in on the discussion.

The chairman, who previously commented on Carlos Alcaraz’s schedule concerns, spoke to the ATP Tour about the spate of withdrawals.

Andrea Gaudenzi defends the tennis schedule after Canadian Open withdrawals

Andrea Gaudenzi, Chairman of the ATP Tour, discussed the withdrawals of the top ATP Tour players during a question-and-answer interview on the ATP Tour website.

While Gaudenzi acknowledged the difficulty a tournament faces when key players withdraw, he maintained that player participation at Masters 1000 events has been ‘strong’ in recent years.

Gaudenzi, who also discussed the calendar complexity and playing commitments during the interview, said: “Withdrawals are part of professional sport, especially in one as physically demanding as tennis. In this case, both Jannik and Carlos had deep runs to the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon—an incredible achievement.

“With only a two-week turnaround between Wimbledon and Toronto this year, the schedule was particularly tight.

Andrea Gaudenzi, chairman of ATP, attends the award ceremony at the end of the final doubles match between Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz of Germany and Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia during day eight of the Nitto ATP Finals. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz won the match 7-6(5), 7-6(6).Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images

“Of course, I feel for the tournament. It was unfortunate but it’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last time a Masters 1000 event faces withdrawals. That’s the reality of our sport.

“In general though, when you step back and look at the data across recent years, player participation at the Masters 1000 level remains very strong.

“We need to assess the impact of reforms over time, using the full picture—attendance, viewership, player participation, compensation, and commercial performance.

“That’s how we make informed, long-term decisions that serve the sport as a whole.”

An extremely quick turnaround for Jannik Sinner

After Jannik Sinner contests the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz on Monday evening, he will then need to make an extremely quick trip to New York to compete in the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament.

Sinner, who is partnered with Katerina Siniakova, is expected to play in the tournament, which will run from Tuesday to Wednesday.

For any athlete, this turnaround is extremely quick. Both Sinner and Iga Swiatek are playing in their respective Cincinnati Open finals, and both are potentially being expected to play in New York the following day.

Jannik Sinner of Italy shows his frustration during the Quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open on January 22 2025, at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.Photo by Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

On the other hand, the mixed doubles tournament is an exhibition event with no bearing on rankings. Therefore, both Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have the autonomy to withdraw from the tournament if they see fit.