The 2025 Canadian Open implemented a significant format change, extending from one week to 12 days. Tournament director Karl Hale has defended this decision amid criticism from players and commentators.
Canadian Open Director Responds to Questions Over Extended Format
On the Nothing Major Show podcast, the host John Isner asked Karl Hale about the extended format. He mentioned fans and players not liking the change and Hale’s opposite opinions on this, asking him, “You have a different opinion, so I want you to tell us why we are wrong?”
Hale had a clear answer as he said that he believes tennis needs to stay competitive with other sports. He began by saying:
“Tennis has done so much for us and it’s really important to keep the game at the forefront of the tennis fans, but just the general public in large.”
Hale then began to explain the format changes, stating:
“By going 12 days, it keeps our sport and Master series closer to Grand Slams. And also just competing against other sports. The NBA just signed a $7.7 billion deal, Premier League signed a massive deal. So these other sports, the delta between us and them is getting bigger.
“So by going 12 days, you have more broadcasts, more fans, and more players, so more jobs. It’s really important that all of us in tennis keep our sport at the forefront and grow,” he added.
Following these schedule changes, there is an increasing trend of player withdrawals from the tournaments. Top players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic skipped the Canadian Open as it took place just two weeks after Wimbledon.
The Extended Format of Canadian Open and Player Views
The 2025 Canadian Open expanded from 56 players in 2024 to 96 players this year with the tournament running for 12 days instead of one week. This makes it similar to other events such as Indian Wells and Miami, with the finals taking place on a Thursday, instead of a weekend. Seven out of nine Masters 1000 events use this longer format, except for Monte Carlo and Paris, that still run for a week.
The number 3 seed Jessica Pegula said she preferred shorter events, stating:
“It can seem really long, especially leading up to a slam,” she said. ” I feel like slams are two weeks, and so now turning everything almost into a slam is really mentally draining,” Pegula added talking about the mental pressure of longer tournaments.
Madison Keys shared her thoughts on this, saying:
“If you’re playing a long match, it’s always good to have a day off afterward, but once you’re in a tournament, there try to manage and do what you can. The ‘off’ days aren’t really relaxing, we’re still there training and doing everything else. With this format becoming more common, we are a bit on autopilot now, we know how to manage the weeks.”
Frances Tiafoe called the Thursday final ‘garbage’. The extended format does create more opportunities for lower-ranked players as the bigger draw means more spots in qualifying and the main event.
