WATCH: Two-time defending champion, Rafael Nadal practices in Toronto
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Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal opted to withdraw from the Wimbledon Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan. He made his comeback last week at the Washington Citi’s Open after having last played in the semi-finals at the French Open in Paris, where he lost against, World number 1, Novak Djokovic in a thrilling four set match.
In Washington, Nadal eased into his first hard court tournament since February. However, his run was cut short after losing in the round of 16 against number 16 seed, Lloyd Harris in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 4-6. At the end of the match, both players had broken each other’s serves twice and Nadal had won more points in total however, Harris was able to take the win.
In Canada, Nadal is seeded number 2 and thus, got a bye in the round of 64. In the round of 32, Nadal awaits the winner between Lloyd Harris and qualifier, Brayden Schnur. Nadal could potentially face Harris again in his first match and thus, might start off his journey in Canada with a difficult opening round.
However, the 20 time Grand Slam Champion looks prepared to defend his title as he was seen training on court. Nadal was filmed practicing his forehand and backhand baseline strokes to perfection at Toronto in an empty stadium. He donned a complete white attire paired with a neon green cap, wristbands and shoes.
Tennis TV posted the video on their twitter handle, captioning the post, “The two-time defending champion in Canada is back…Hola Rafael Nadal”. They added the hashtag of the National Bank Open 2021 to the caption of the post.
Rafael Nadal’s previous appearances in Canada
Nadal has lifted the National Bank Open trophy five times, twice in Toronto and three time in Montreal as the event alternates host cities every year. In 2018 and 2019, Nadal won back to back titles in each city and thus, completed the Montreal-Toronto double. The Canadian Open is Nadal’s most successful hard court ATP Masters 1000 event. He has made 13 appearances here and has a 38-8 record including a perfect 5-0 win record in the finals.
In 2019, Nadal got the better off, Dan Evans, Guido Pella, number 7 seed Fabio Fognini, number 16 seed Gael Monfils and number 8 seed, Daniil Medvedev to lift up that trophy. If Nadal plays his best tennis, he can potentially clash against Medvedev in the final again and will be looking to lift that trophy for the 6th time.
Also read: REVEALED! Rafael Nadal’s potential path to 2021 Toronto Masters title
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Ananya Agarwal
(107 Articles Published)