The 2024 Canadian Open has taken another significant hit with Carlos Alcaraz pulling out of the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The Spanish star’s withdrawal follows his quarter-final victory over Tommy Paul at the Paris Olympics, where he has advanced to the medal matches at Roland Garros.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, with the bronze medal match on Saturday and the gold medal match on Sunday.

Alcaraz’s decision to skip the Canadian Open is part of a broader trend of top players withdrawing due to the scheduling conflict with the Paris Olympics. The main draw in Montreal starts on August 6, but players deep in the Olympics will struggle to travel to Canada in time.

Alcaraz joins Novak Djokovic, who is also still competing at the Olympics, on the list of withdrawals. The four-time Grand Slam champion cited fatigue from a demanding season, which includes recent titles at Wimbledon and the French Open.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner, who missed the Olympics due to injury, is now the favorite to win a second Canadian Open title. Despite their absence, Djokovic and Alcaraz have minimal points to defend in Canada, with Djokovic having no points from last year and Alcaraz defending only 180 points from his quarter-final exit.

As a result, Sinner will retain his No. 1 ATP Ranking post-tournament, while Djokovic and Alcaraz miss their chance to challenge him. With Zverev moving up to the second seed, followed by Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, and Hubert Hurkacz, the tournament remains open to new contenders. The Canadian Open might still face further withdrawals, including from local hope Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is also competing in the Paris semi-finals.