5 major absentees at 2023 Canadian Open, ft. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic

The 2023 Canadian Open Masters 1000 tournament kicks off in Toronto on Monday, August 7. Its WTA counterpart starts on the same day in Montreal.

It's the sixth Masters 1000/WTA 1000 event of the year for both tours. The Canadian Open is one of two Masters 1000/WTA 1000 events in the North American hardcourt swing. The other is the Cincinnati Open a week later, ahead of the US Open.

However, there are a few key players who will be absent in the 2023 edition of the Canadian Open across both tours. So, without further ado, let's have a look at five such players in no particular order:

#1 Ons Jabeur

The three-time Grand Slam finalist will be absent in Montreal this year.

Ons Jabeur will be a notable absentee in the Canadian Open field at Montreal this year.

The World No. 5 made the Wimbledon final - her third Grand Slam final - last month but has pulled out of the National Bank Open citing a knee injury. Jabeur said:

“I feel sad that I have to withdraw from the National Bank Open in Montreal. I hope to come back to my fans next year in Canada. Lots of love!”

Tournament director Valerie Tetreault is understandably disappointed with Jabeur's absence, saying:

“We are obviously disappointed that Ons (Jabeur) will not be joining us this year. She is an exceptionally talented player, who is highly appreciated not only by fans but also by the entire tennis community."

Jabeur's withdrawal means World No. 59 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic will make the main draw without going through qualifying.

#2 Simona Halep

Defending champion Simona Halep will be another notable absentee at the 2023 Canadian Open.

That's because the Romanian, 31, is provisionally suspended from the WTA Tour. This comes after she tested positive for a banned substance, Roxadustat, following her US Open first-round last year.

Halep has maintained her innocence, saying that she didn't ingest the prohibited substance intentionally. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency is yet to make a ruling on the player, keeping her immediate future in the sport uncertain.

#3 Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Canadian Open due to injury. The World No. 35 made his only appearance this season at the Stuttgart Open, where he lost in the opening round.

He has missed many big tournaments this year, with the Canadian Open added to the list. He also missed the Citi Open, where he was the defending champion. The enigmatic Australian is set for a big plummet down the rankings, possibly out of the top 100.

It's unclear whether he will play the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open to conclude the North American hardcourt swing.

#4 Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, widely regarded as one of the best players in the sport's history, will also miss the Canadian Open this year. The Spaniard hasn't been in action since an arthroscopic surgery on his left hip flexor for an injury he suffered at the Australian Open this year.

Having won only one of his four matches this year, Nadal is in the midst of his longest absence from the tour, and his ATP ranking is in freefall. Currently 139th in the rankings, the left-hander is unlikely to play again this year.

Dr. Angel Ruiz Cotorro, one of three doctors who performed the surgery on the legendary Spaniard, expects a five-month recovery period but declined to give a date:

"I'm happy because we've done what we wanted to... We're very satisfied and if we respect the recovery times, I think he will be able to recover. Rushing is never a good idea."

"It's five months, but we're not pushing for a particular date."

Nadal himself updated on social media about his recovery potentially taking five months:

“Hello everyone. As you know last night I had surgery. Everything went well and the arthroscopy was on the left psoas tendon that has kept me out of competition since January. I will start progressive functional rehabilitation immediately and the normal recovery process they tell me is 5 months, if all goes well."

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It's likely that Nadal could be unranked when he possibly returns to action in 2024, widely expected to be his farewell season on tour.

#5 Novak Djokovic (four-time Canadian Open champion)

Unlike the others on this list, Novak Djokovic is not missing the Canadian Open due to injury or suspension. The 36-year-old has withdrawn from the tournament due to fatigue.

Djokovic faced a tough five-set loss in the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz last month. He was seeking a record-equalling eighth title and 24th Grand Slam title in the Open Era at the SW19.

Regarding his absence from the Canadian Open, the Serb said in a statement:

“I have always enjoyed my time in Canada, but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take. I would like to thank Karl Hale, the Tournament Director, for understanding this decision. I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there.”

The four-time Canadian Open champion has a 37-7 record at the tournament but hasn't played the event since 2018.