The Canadians saved their greatest for (nearly) final in 2024.
Final week, 5 totally different Canadians lifted trophies on the ATP, WTA, and ITF Excursions. That included a historic victory on the WTA Finals, a career-best outcome for a veteran, and a long-awaited triumph for one in every of Canada’s greatest names.
There’s a lot to have fun this week on the earth of Canadian tennis. Right here’s what it’s good to know.
Below the Radar: Extra Milestones for Marino
2024 has been filled with career-best outcomes for Rebecca Marino however she saved her greatest for final by claiming her first WTA 125 title final week in Midland, Michigan.
Again in February, Marino received her first ITF W100 title in Guanajuato, which was the most important win of her profession on the time. She matched it with one other W100 in Ilkley on grass in June. Her victory final month in Calgary on the W75 occasion was greater than any title she had received previous to 2024. However she blew all three out of the water final week by selecting up her first title at a WTA-sanctioned occasion.
Seeded sixth in Midland, Marino needed to survive a good second-round encounter with Louisa Chirico, escaping by taking the third-set tiebreak 9-7. That proved to be the hardest take a look at of the entire event for the 33-year-old as she didn’t drop one other set on her technique to the title. Within the ultimate, she blew out third seed Alycia Parks 6-2, 6-1 to assert the most important title of her profession.
Learn additionally: Revisiting Rafael Nadal’s 5 Titles on the Nationwide Financial institution Open
Marino will now head to Malaga for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals having received 18 of her final 20 matches. Her 4 titles in 2024 are her second-most in a season, having received 5 in 2018. Nonetheless, the most important of these titles was a pair of W25 occasions whereas her lowest title this yr was a W75.
Canada almost swept the titles in Michigan as Ariana Arseneault and Mia Kupres reached the doubles ultimate, the most important of their profession to this point, however misplaced to the second seeds Emily Appleton and Maia Lumsden 10-5 within the match tiebreak within the ultimate. The Canadians had upset the highest seeds within the second spherical.
On dwelling soil on the ITF M25 occasion in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec, Canada was assured a title heading into Sunday as Liam Draxl took on Alexis Galarneau within the ultimate. Draxl emerged victorious, claiming his second title of the season.
Click on right here to learn the total Saint-Augustin recap.
Kayla Cross joined the Canadian winners parade, selecting up her sixth ITF doubles title of the yr on the M35 occasion in Miami with American Anna Rogers. The pair had been the highest seeds and dropped only one set on their technique to the title, capping it off with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Aya El Aouni of Morocco and Olivia Lincer of Poland within the ultimate.
This week, Canada performs host to its ultimate skilled occasion on the 2024 calendar, the ATP Challenger Banque Nationale de Drummondville.
Click on right here to achieve the Drummondville preview.
Canada’s juniors are additionally in motion this week on the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors Finals in Turkey. Click on right here to study extra.
In Case You Missed: Dabrowski Makes Historical past, Shapo Ends Drought
Gabriela Dabrowski has lengthy been a trailblazer for Canadian tennis gamers. On high of being the primary Canadian lady to win a doubles Grand Slam title and an Olympic medal, she added being the primary Canadian to win the title on the WTA Finals final weekend.
She and Erin Routliffe tore via the attract Riyadh, profitable the White Group with an ideal 3-0 file, beating 2023 runners-up Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez within the semis, and avenging their Wimbledon loss to Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend within the ultimate to assert the trophy.
No Canadian had ever a lot as reached the ultimate of the ladies’s year-end championship previous to Dabrowski this yr.
Simply a few hours later, Denis Shapovalov picked up a long-overdue second profession ATP Tour title, profitable the Belgrade Open with a straight-set victory over Hamad Medjedovic.
Shapovalov wanted seven wins to get his fingers on the trophy, having come via qualifying. However he appeared far more like his former High 10 self, dropping only one set (in a tiebreak) in these seven matches and dropping serve simply as soon as in your entire principal draw.
The victory snaps a five-year title drought for the 25-year-old. After profitable his maiden title in Stockholm in 2019, Shapovalov misplaced his subsequent 5 finals in a row. His final ultimate previous to Belgrade was in October 2022.
What to Watch: Billie Jean King Cup Title Defence Begins
With the WTA Finals wrapping up on Saturday, the WTA Tour season has formally come to an finish. The ATP Tour will comply with go well with as this week’s ATP Finals is the final occasion on the ATP calendar and doesn’t function any Canadians.
Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless a pair of huge trophies left that Canadians have their eye on.
Canada’s bid for the primary begins this week because the Billie Jean King Cup Finals will get underway in Malaga, Spain. Leylah Annie Fernandez, Rebecca Marino, Gabriela Dabrowski, and Marina Stakusic are all returning to defend the title.
Click on right here to study extra about Workforce Canada.
Because the No. 1 group within the Billie Jean King Cup rankings, Canada has a bye on to the quarter-finals. They’ll face both Nice Britain or Germany on Sunday.
Click on right here for every thing it’s good to know in regards to the 2024 World Cup of Tennis.
You’ll be able to comply with the Canadians in motion each week right here.
