After a year break (courtesy of COVID-19), the Rogers Cup returns this weekend. Canada’s biggest hardcourt tournament starts on Saturday, August 7, and will wrap up nine days later, on Sunday, August 15.
Officially named the 2021 National Bank Open presented by Rogers, the tournament is held in the two largest Canadian cities. The men’s tournament is taking place in Toronto (at Aviva Centre), while Montreal (IGA Stadium) is hosting the women’s event.
Forty-eight ATP players will be competing for the 2021 Canadian Open title in Men’s Singles, which comes along with 1,000 ranking points, as well as a prize of over $1 million.
Some of those players include the defending champ Rafa Nadal and the #1 seed Daniil Medvedev.
The women’s tournament is equally exciting, with 56 players battling for the WTA singles’ title, which also comes with 1,000 points and one million bucks.
Among the biggest WTA stars who have set their eyes on the trophy are the 2019 winner Bianca Andreescu and the WTA #3 Aryna Sabalenka, who’s the #1 seed in this tournament.
The gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Belinda Bencic has decided to skip this tournament, the same as Naomi Osaka.
2021 Rogers Cup Men’s Singles Preview (ATP Toronto)
Daniil Medvedev is coming to Toronto as the #1 seed, the reason being that he’s the highest-ranked ATP player taking part in the 2021 Rogers Cup. The 6’6 Russian is currently the no.2 in the ATP Rankings, where he will remain no matter what happens in Canada.
Daniil Medvedev is the #1 seed at the 2021 Rogers Cup. Rafael Nadal is #2, followed by Stefanos Tsitsipas (#3), Andrey Rublev (#4), Denis Shapovalov (#5), and so on.
The thing is that he cannot overtake the ATP throne from Novak Djokovic (who’s decided not to participate in this year’s Rodgers Cup) even if he won the Canadian trophy.
At the same time, he cannot drop to the no.3, currently occupied by Rafael Nadal. However, the Spanish star could sink as many as two spots.
Rafael Nadal Going for His Sixth Rogers Cup Trophy
Being a defending champion, there’s a risk that Nadal could end up without his 1,000 points. Such a scenario, however, can only happen if Nadal messes everything up and loses in the early stages of the tournament.
The chances are he’s not. It’s not just that he’s one of the greatest tennis players ever to walk on Earth. It’s also because he’s properly rested, having taken a four-week break after the 2021 French Open.
Even though he’s known as the king of clay, Nadal also has a pretty impressive record on hardcourts, with 490 career wins and 139 losses.
His record is especially impressive when it comes to the matches played at the Rogers Cup, the tournament which he won five times already.
Other Trophy Candidates
Two of Nadal’s Rogers Cup triumphs happened in the previous two installments of the tournament. In 2018, he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, while a year later, he won the title after a battle with Daniil Medvedev. Those two will probably be his main competitors this year as well.
Another reason why Nadal’s road to the title seems relatively easy is that some of his biggest rivals have decided to skip this tournament, including Novak Djokovic, the world no.1.
The same goes for Alexander Zverev who won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A GOAT candidate, Roger Federer is also out, as well as rising star Matteo Berrettini.
2021 Rogers Cup Women’s Singles Preview (WTA Montreal)
If you thought the ATP event of the 2021 Rogers Cup was exciting, wait to learn more about the Women’s Singles tournament.
Although the two players from the summit of the WTA List decided not to come to Canada, the tournament in Montreal will feature a number of elite players.
Six of the Top 10 WTA players are going to take part in the 2021 Rogers Cup. Those are, namely: Aryna Sabalenka, Bianca Andreescu, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova, Garbine Muguruza, and Simona Halep.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if any of the Top 10 players won the Women’s Singles title, but Aryna Sabalenka is the #1 seed for a reason. She needs to be thought of as the main title favorite.
Other Candidates
it’s not just about the players from the WTA Top 10. For one, there’s Victoria Azarenka who is also taking part in the Montreal tournament. She is one of the most decorated female tennis players in the world, but one who still misses a Rogers Cup trophy in her collection.
Then, there’s also Elena Rybakina, the world’s #20 female player, whom we saw getting to the semifinal of the Olympics.
Knowing all this, the 2021 Rodgers Cup seems like a fantastic tournament from a bettor’s perspective. If you agree, why not place some tennis bets at Canada-friendly betting sites like Betway, Unibet, or Pinnacle!
