Overview

• Fritz highlighted the rule requiring at least four ATP 500 entries per season or a zero on a player’s record and called it unfair.
• He said missing two ATP 500 events through injury forced him into Washington despite needing recuperation before Toronto.
• His comments reinforced earlier withdrawals by Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, who skipped the Toronto Masters to preserve energy for the US Open.
• Observers have pointed to the two-week gap from Wimbledon to the Canadian Open as insufficient rest and a key driver of player withdrawals.
• High-profile absences have weakened the National Bank Open field and increased calls for the ATP to revisit its scheduling and mandatory-event framework.