Excitement for Canada’s leading men’s tennis stars at the National Bank Open has swiftly diminished due to injuries, as Félix Auger-Aliassime, Gabriel Diallo, and Denis Shapovalov are all out of action in Montreal.
“It’s essential for our top players to be fit, without a doubt,” stated Tennis Canada’s vice-president of high performance, Guillaume Marx, on Thursday. “This is definitely on our radar.”
Hometown hero Auger-Aliassime had to pull out of his opening match on Wednesday after suffering a back injury during a practice session just two days prior. His exit followed the early withdrawals of fellow Montrealer Diallo and Richmond Hill’s Shapovalov on Tuesday.
Marx recognized the unfortunate timing but remains optimistic about Auger-Aliassime’s recovery.
“I’m not overly concerned about Félix,” he remarked. “It’s an injury he’s familiar with, one he’s sustained before. Typically, it doesn’t linger long. It’s just that he couldn’t play on Wednesday. We’re staying positive.”
Entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed, Auger-Aliassime had dedicated two weeks to intense training in Montreal. Organizers recorded a sell-out for Wednesday night’s Centre Court, with Auger-Aliassime as the star attraction.
Diallo’s future remains uncertain after he retired from his opening-round match due to an apparent leg injury.
Marx confirmed that Diallo will skip next week’s ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati and declined to speculate on when he might return. The U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, starts on August 23.
“For Gabriel, it’s a wait-and-see situation,” Marx added. “We’ll have to keep a close eye on his progress.”
Shapovalov also retired on Tuesday, facing an ankle injury. The world No. 43 had just returned to the competitive scene the previous week, reaching the final of an ATP 250 tournament in Los Cabos, Mexico, after a month-long layoff due to various injuries.
Marx pointed out that this phase of the ATP calendar presents distinct physical challenges, as players shift from grass and clay courts to hard courts in North America.
“Switching surfaces is crucial for players,” he explained. “These transitions often lead to higher injury rates. The hard courts can exacerbate previous injuries.”
He further noted that the demanding schedule leaves very little room for players who are not at peak fitness.
“The schedule is relentless,” Marx said. “This could also contribute to player fatigue. Each injury has its own narrative, yet they reflect the hurdles we face.”
“Today, the significant issue is that the margins for error are razor-thin. A player below 100% has practically no chance.”
The injuries affecting Canadian players are just a fraction of a whirlwind week in Montreal.
A total of twelve seeded players, including top seed Alexander Zverev and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, exited on Wednesday, marking the first time since 1991 that no player ranked in the top five reached the round of 32 at an ATP Masters 1000 event.
On Thursday, Australia’s Alex de Minaur became the next high seed to exit.
The tournament’s No. 3 seed fell to unseeded Brit Cameron Norrie in a thrilling third-round battle, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-1.
Norrie advanced to the fourth round of the National Bank Open for the first time in six appearances.
By Thursday, six of the top eight seeds had been eliminated from the singles draw.
The tournament was already without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the injured Carlos Alcaraz, and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Marx remains confident that the event will yield a worthy champion, highlighting the deep talent pool, including 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar.
“Masters 1000 events have a great depth of top players. Jodar is an outstanding talent who has truly shone this summer,” he stated.
Norrie’s next opponent in the round of 16 is No. 18 seed Arthur Fils from France, who advanced by defeating Argentina’s Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-2 earlier on Thursday.
Italian Luciano Darderi, the 19th seed, rallied from a set down to overcome China’s Juncheng Shang 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Darderi will next face Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who secured victory against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann with a score of 6-4, 6-2.
In first-round doubles action, the all-Canadian duo of Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau triumphed over Zverev and Brazil’s Marcelo Melo with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (5).
However, their compatriots Liam Draxl and Cleeve Harper were defeated by Fabian Maroszan and Daniil Medvedev, 4-6, 6-4, 10-6.
The evening session on Centre Court featured a matchup between 20th-seeded Jodar and No. 11 Lorenzo Musetti, followed by a clash between 15th-seeded American Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Rin of France.
