Rafael Nadal isn’t letting his recent loss at Wimbledon to Roger Federer get him down. Along with buying a new toy, he announced that he’s feeling strong as he gears up for next week’s Rogers Cup.
After the match, the Spaniard gave no clues about when he would next play after struggling with knee injuries on hard courts in recent years.
But Nadal has been practicing at his academy in Manacor with coach Carlos Moya in recent days and appeared to be hitting the ball sweetly.
And at a press conference today, Nadal said his fitness levels are in an ideal place heading into the summer hard court season.
“I think this year I’m going with good fitness, preparation and I feel strong,” he said.
“I’ll soon travel to Montreal as I want to spend some days there to finish my preparation.”
Nadal is expected in Canada before Friday when he is due to practise on Centre Court.
The draw is also set to be made on the same day and Nadal will be the top seed as he looks to defend his title from 12 months ago.
Last year, Nadal beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final to win the tournament for the fourth time.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be absent from Montreal after withdrawing.
And it means Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Kei Nishikori join Nadal as the top five seeds.
Meanwhile, rising stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are set to receive warm welcomes at their home event.
Top Seed At Rogers Cup
Rafa is the top seed for the upcoming men’s Rogers Cup in Montreal, while Ash Barty is the top seed for the women’s event in Toronto.
Nadal is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 2 and will be only member of the men’s Big Three to play in Toronto. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament last week, and Roger Federer pulled out shortly after he lost to Djokovic in five grueling sets in the Wimbledon final.
That leaves No. 4 Dominic Thiem of Austria as the second seed.
Nadal, of Spain, is a four-time Rogers Cup champion, including last year in Toronto.
Barty will be competing for the second time since she reached No. 1, following her fourth-round loss at Wimbledon. The Australian has three titles this year, including her first Grand Slam at the French Open.
Naomi Osaka of Japan will be the No. 2 seed in Toronto, followed by Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.
Tennis Canada announced the
Novak Djokovic Out Of Rogers Cup
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Rogers Cup. Roger Federer had announced at Wimbledon that he wouldn’t be playing at the Montreal event to rest up for the U.S. Open in September.
Federer’s last appearance at the event was in 2017 when he was beaten by Alexander Zverev.
The Wimbledon winner this month for his 16th Grand Slam title, Djokovic is a four-time champion in the event that rotates between Montreal and Toronto, winning in Montreal in 2007 and 2011.
“I’m sorry to announce that I decided to pull out of Rogers Cup,” Djokovic said Thursday in a statement. “With the support of my team, I have decided to give my body longer rest and recovery time before coming back again to play. I love Canada and I have many friends there that always make me feel like I’m at home and I’m looking forward to coming back again to play in front of all of you in Montreal.”
With Djokovic out, Rafael Nadal will be the top seed in the event that opens Aug. 2 at IGA Stadium. Nadal won last year in Toronto. Roger Federer pulled out two weeks ago.
Stephens and Gauff U.S. Open Stumble
Top-seeded Sloane Stephens was upset in the first round of the Citi Open on Tuesday, and Coco Gauff also lost in the tune-up for the U.S. Open.
Rebecca Peterson beat Stephens 6-2, 7-5 at the hard-court tournament. Stephens was coming off a third-round loss at Wimbledon.
Gauff, the 15-year-old who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and got into the Citi Open as a qualifier, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Zarina Diyas.
Stephens is ranked eighth and Peterson is 70th. Stephens won the Citi Open in 2015 and reached the 2017 doubles final. Peterson, from Sweden, will face Italian Camila Giorgi in the second round. Giorgi posted a 6-2, 7-5 win over Sachia Vickery of the United States.
In the men’s draw, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlasted second-seeded Karen Khachanov for a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 victory. Daniil Medvedev, Marin Cilic, Frances Tiafoe and Kyle Edmund also advanced.
In other action in Washington, eighth-seeded Monica Puig of Puerto Rico defeated American Allie Kiick 6-4, 6-2.
Youssef Hossam Suspended
An Egyptian tennis player whose brother was banned from the sport for life for match-fixing has been suspended from tennis for alleged integrity violations.
The Tennis Integrity Unit announced Tuesday that 21-year-old Youssef Hossam has been provisionally suspended while its investigation continues. Hossam may not compete in or attend any event sanctioned by the sport’s governing bodies.
Last year, Youssef’s brother Karim Hossam was found guilty of 16 corruption charges that included providing inside information and facilitating betting. He was given a lifetime ban.
Youssef Hossam is ranked 410th in the world.