In 2025, the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open Masters 1000 tournaments will take place over two weeks for the first time.
In line with the trend of Masters 1000 tournaments expanding to 96-player draws, the Canadian Open adopted this change this year.
This decision has sparked controversy, with numerous players and analysts expressing their dissatisfaction with the extended format in recent years.
World number three Alexander Zverev remarked that no one truly “loves” the two-week Masters 1000 events during a recent podcast, highlighting that he is not alone in his criticism.
On a more positive note, second seed Taylor Fritz sees some benefits to the two-week structure, although he has proposed a modification to the schedule that he would support.
Taylor Fritz Advocates for One-Week Masters 1000 Events and Longer Off-Season
After his third-round victory over Gabriel Diallo, Fritz shared his insights on the two-week Masters 1000 events with the media. He acknowledged that there are both advantages and disadvantages to this format.
“I appreciate the format of playing one day, taking a day off, and then playing again. It resembles the layout at Grand Slams, although the Slams involve three out of five sets. However, playing potentially six consecutive matches can be quite exhausting. Immediately transitioning to the next tournament poses a significant challenge,” he mentioned.
Fritz expressed that while the two-week format adds extra weeks, he finds merit in proposing a return to a one-week format. He believes that if reverting to this shorter period means eliminating tournaments, he would support it.
Reflecting on his own experiences, Fritz noted that the shortened off-season between the 2024 and 2025 seasons impacted his performance early in the year. However, he is now regaining his form and is preparing for his fourth-round match against Jiri Lehecka at the Canadian Open on August 3.
