Zverev: Money won’t necessarily persuade Novak Djokovic to play in Montreal
Zverev says end-of-year bonus rules already exist and doubts more money would change Novak Djokovic’s decisions.
Alexander Zverev dismissed the idea that bigger financial incentives would convince Novak Djokovic to play in the Montreal Masters, after a wave of withdrawals prompted talk of penalties and stronger measures for players who skip Masters events.
Zverev reminded that there is already a system of end-of-year bonuses for players who participate in all nine Masters tournaments. "That's the situation now. I mean, it's not rocket science. We receive end-of-year bonuses if we play all nine Masters," he said.
Context and controversy
The comments come amid discussions inside the tennis circuit about potential sanctions or financial penalties for high-profile absences, after many players pulled out of the Montreal tournament. Organizers and tour officials have been weighing options to discourage last-minute withdrawals.
Asked directly whether a larger cash sweetener would persuade top names such as Novak Djokovic to appear, Zverev was blunt. "Do you think Novak will care whether he gets a bigger bonus? I think the man has, if I were to guess, over 400 million in his bank account, so I'm not sure he'd worry about an extra 50,000 or so," Zverev said.
The Montreal Masters is scheduled to run through August 13, 2026, and discussions about player commitments are expected to continue as the ATP evaluates both incentives and penalties for Masters participation.
Photo: press material from the event
