(Montreal) Spaniard Rafael Nadal, holder of 22 Grand Slam titles in men’s singles, is expected at the National Bank Open presented in Montreal from August 5 to 14, while American Serena Williams, who has 23 major titles in women’s singles on her list, is entered in the women’s section presented during the same week in Toronto.
Posted at 11:23 a.m.
The organizers of the two parts of the tournament unveiled the list of registered players on Thursday.
Montreal’s IGA Stadium and Toronto’s Sobeys Stadium will be able to accommodate their full capacity of spectators for the first time since 2019. The National Bank Open was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before being contested in front of reduced crowds in 2021.
PHOTO MATTHEW CHILDS, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Serena Williams
On the Montreal side, the Russian Daniil Medvedev will try to defend his title acquired in the Ontario metropolis last year. He was also a finalist in Montreal in 2019, losing to Nadal. The latter thus got his hands on a fifth title of the tournament.
Nadal will be looking to match Czech Ivan Lendl’s record with six Canadian Open titles.
Canadians Félix Auger-Aliassime, ninth in the world ranking, and Denis Shapovalov, 24ewill also be among the headliners.
In Toronto, 41 of the top 43 players in the WTA rankings are on the entry list, including two-time French Open champion and world number one Iga Swiatek.
Williams decided to use her protected ranking to take part in the National Bank Open for the first time since her appearance in the final in 2019. She then withdrew against Ontario’s Bianca Andreescu during the first set.
Andreescu and Laval’s Leylah Fernandez, 14e world racket, are also on the entry list. Fernandez, a 2021 U.S. Open runner-up, will look to earn a first main draw match at the National Bank Open.
Italian Camila Giorgi, champion in Montreal in 2021, will also be present to defend her crown.