India, Aug. 10 -- It has been a strange period in men's singles tennis, with Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, becoming the latest big name to withdraw from the upcoming Cincinnati Masters.

The Italian had already pulled out of the Canadian Open in Toronto, meaning he has not played competitively since successfully defending his Wimbledon title earlier this summer. His latest withdrawal came a week after Carlos Alcaraz also opted out of Cincinnati, leaving the Masters 1000 event without either of the world's top two players and former champions when the men's singles action begins Saturday.

Alcaraz has been out of action for even longer. His last competitive appearance came at the Barcelona Open in April, where he suffered a wrist injury ...