It was to be expected; the weather forecasts had insisted, and the organization of the Canada Masters 1000 turned a deaf ear and scheduled the day’s matches at the time of heaviest rain. A decision made as if it were taken for granted that the tournament had an indoor court. However, that ‘luxury’ is something that only two of the eight outdoor Masters 1000 tournaments possess. In a moment of modernity and constant change in sports, tennis is lagging behind.
Let’s break down a situation where the blame is equally shared between the ATP and the tournament organizers. To put it in context, yesterday, Monday, August 10, it was scheduled for the first two quarterfinals of the Canada Masters 1000, held this year in Montreal, to be played. The first scheduled match was Rafa Jódar – Arthur Fils not before 6:00 PM local time (not before midnight Tuesday in Spain), while the second, between Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima, would start after this match.
It was a wrong decision by the tournament knowing that from 5:00 PM (11:00 PM in Spain) the sky was going to cover and the rain would not give any respite until late at night. And the outcome is already known to everyone: the session was suspended and has been rescheduled for today, when no rain is expected. In fact, both matches have been scheduled for midday, local time in Montreal. And all attendees with tickets from yesterday will be allowed into this improvised morning session.
In 2026, only the Mutua Madrid Open and ATP Shanghai have retractable roofs
I wish this incident only happened once a year, twice at most. But the problem that the ATP has, which seems to be inactive, is that out of the eight outdoor Masters 1000 tournaments, only the Mutua Madrid Open and ATP Shanghai have retractable roofs in their Central Court. Therefore, the scene experienced yesterday in Montreal has every chance of being repeated in Indian Wells, the Miami Open, Monte Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati.
At a time when innovations in tennis format, prize money increases, and relying on social media and new content to attract new audiences are discussed, perhaps the hardest way to engage new fans and disenchant loyal supporters is to keep them waiting until late at night for a match that will not start because, despite having electronic line calling, LED screens, the best cameras, and incredible replays, there are no facilities adapted to rain in 2026.
Moreover, this situation is compounded by facilities like those in Montreal, which the ATP itself has stated are outdated and whose last renovation was 30 years ago: “Without a doubt, the central court could be modernized. It also concerns video screens and everything around the tennis experience for sponsors and the boxes,” stated ATP executive director Eno Polo, in comments to SportsNet.
OFICIAL 🚨🚨🚨
Se SUSPENDE la jornada del lunes al completo en Montreal.
El partido de Jódar y Fils será este MARTES en segundo turno, sobre las 20:00h de España.
Los dos partidos de la parte alta, el Shelton-Mensik y el Mérida-Tien serán de noche, desde las 00:00h. https://t.co/oSQ6JaPD9L
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) August 11, 2026
In fact, he predicted what happened yesterday due to not having a Central Court with a retractable roof: “Imagine buying a ticket, leaving work early to attend the evening session, arriving at 6 PM, and then it rains. In the end, you go home without having seen any tennis matches. It’s disappointing.”
However, Tennis Canada plans a project to modernize its facilities in Montreal, including the construction of a new central court with a capacity for 15,000 spectators and a retractable roof, as well as constructing additional courts for training and matches.
At least they intend to update, something that other Masters 1000 tournaments do not currently plan. Until more than half of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments, ten starting in 2028 with the inclusion of Saudi Arabia, have indoor courts that guarantee the holding of the most important matches of the day, tennis will never be able to look eye to eye with other global sports like football or basketball. The ATP, WTA, and ITF have the tools to achieve this, but it seems they are not inclined to materialize it.
Meanwhile, players and their fans will have to wait indefinitely under an umbrella until the storm passes.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Montreal, la lluvia y una situación tan surrealista como inadmisible