Three Canadians Injured at Home as FAA Exits Montreal

Hometown Heartbreak: Three Canadians Fall Injured

The National Bank Open in Montréal suffered a brutal blow to its local storyline on Wednesday when second seed Félix Auger-Aliassime withdrew before his second-round match due to a sudden back injury. The 26-year-old Québécois joins compatriots Gabriel Diallo and Denis Shapovalov, both of whom failed to complete their own matches earlier in the week, leaving Canada without a single representative in the singles draw at their marquee home Masters 1000.

Auger-Aliassime said the pain appeared with little warning after two weeks of trouble-free practice in his home city. "It was quite sudden. I was training here for two weeks, and I had zero problems," he told reporters at the IGA Stadium. When he attempted a warm-up session before his scheduled encounter with French qualifier Titouan Droguet, the injury made itself clear. "I tried to warm up, and then I basically couldn't serve, really. So it was impossible for me to think about competing." Tournament director Valérie Tétreault was candid about the emotional cost: "I'm not going to lie, we were hoping that Félix was going to win at least a few matches here."

For Auger-Aliassime, who holds a career-high ranking of No. 4, the timing compounds the difficulty. This was to be his first tournament since Wimbledon and his debut under a new coaching arrangement following a split from long-time coach Frédéric Fontang. He and Diallo had also planned to compete together in doubles, a pairing that will now not materialise.

The Wider Picture of Upsets and Absences

The Canadian injury trio is the latest chapter in a tournament stripped of its biggest names. Before the first ball was struck, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, and No. 5 Novak Djokovic had all withdrawn for various reasons. Then on Tuesday, top seed Alexander Zverev — given the tournament's top billing in the absence of those three — was knocked out in his opening match by Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4. Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev followed on the same day, falling 6-3, 7-6(5) to Botic van de Zandschulp. Taylor Fritz, fresh from his DC Open triumph, was another notable casualty, beaten by Argentine Thiago Agustín Tirante in his opening match.

Gabriel Diallo's retirement against Luciano Darderi was particularly raw — the 23-year-old Montrealer left the court in tears. Denis Shapovalov's withdrawal mid-match against Zach Svajda added a third Canadian name to the injury list before FAA's news completed an unprecedented wave of home misfortune.

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An Unusually Open Draw

The exits have fundamentally reshaped the competitive landscape. The four quarterfinals scheduled for Thursday feature players ranked well outside the top ten in several brackets. Mariano Navone — who defeated Matteo Berrettini in the opening round — faces Frenchman Arthur Fils, while Argentina's Tirante could face further upsets if he progresses. On the other side of the draw, Shang Juncheng — conqueror of Andrey Rublev in a five-match-point thriller on Tuesday — meets Luciano Darderi. Alex de Minaur, one of the few remaining seeded players, faces Cameron Norrie.

Auger-Aliassime confirmed he would not force a return before fully assessing the injury, meaning the earliest he could be back on court is at the Cincinnati Western & Southern Open later this month. The title race in Montréal, meanwhile, remains wide open — a situation that would have been unimaginable when the draw was made.