Rafael Nadal withdraws from Montreal tournament due to injury

Gregory Robust –

Youth shall be served on the upcoming Nationwide Financial institution Open after a few late withdrawals shook up the draw on the ATP Tour’s Masters 1000 event.

The so-called Massive Three of Roger Federer (knee), Novak Djokovic (unvaccinated), Rafael Nadal (stomach) will not be readily available this 12 months.

As a substitute the occasion’s headliners will embrace 20-somethings like top-ranked Daniil Medvedev of Russia, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, Italy’s Jannik Sinner and native favorite Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal.

“What’s so particular this 12 months is the calibre and the extent of the kids coming in,” event director Eugene Lapierre stated after the draw was finalized Friday afternoon. “We have talked concerning the altering of the guard for just a few years now. I feel we’re there.”

Federer remains to be out of motion after present process knee surgical procedure. Nadal pulled out of the event Friday, a day after Djokovic’s withdrawal was confirmed.

Djokovic is not vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 and isn’t allowed to enter Canada. Nadal, in the meantime, remains to be recovering from a muscle tear that pressured him to withdraw from Wimbledon final month.

“I’ve been practising for some time now with out serving and began with serves 4 days in the past. All the things has been going properly. Nevertheless yesterday, after my regular apply, I felt a slight hassle on my stomach and right now it was nonetheless there,” Nadal stated in an announcement. “After talking with my physician, we want to take issues in a conservative manner and provides just a few extra days earlier than beginning to compete.”

Nadal has received 22 Grand Slam singles titles over his profession, yet one more than Djokovic. The Spaniard was set to be the No. 2 seed in Montreal behind Medvedev, who will compete beneath a impartial flag.

Teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was seeded second as an alternative in a 56-player singles draw that features notable entries like Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz and Norway’s Casper Ruud.

“They’re youngsters and they’ll be making the tales of tennis for the following 10 years simple,” Lapierre stated. “So that is what we will witness this 12 months.”

Tsitsipas, who attended the draw at a downtown restaurant with Alcaraz, stated the tour’s youth motion is thrilling and pushes him to work more durable.

“It helps me lots with my temper when it comes to how I method my apply and the way I method my preparation to intention for higher,” he stated. “I am a really aggressive athlete. I do need to show to others that I’m higher than them.”

The ninth-ranked Auger-Aliassime may have a first-round bye whereas fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov has a troublesome opener in opposition to Alex de Minaur. At No. 21, the Australian is ranked one place forward of Shapovalov, who’s from Richmond Hill, Ont.

Nadal’s withdrawal gave American Mackenzie McDonald a spot in the primary draw.

“We’re clearly disenchanted that Rafael won’t be with us this 12 months,” Lapierre stated. “A five-time champion of our event and the final males’s champion in Montreal (2019), followers had been clearly desirous to see him again in motion on the IGA Stadium.”

Benjamin Bonzi of France and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios moved into the primary draw after the withdrawals of Djokovic, from Serbia, and Oscar Otte of Germany.

Kyrgios, who misplaced to Djokovic within the Wimbledon ultimate, may face Medvedev within the second spherical. Medvedev has a first-round bye as the highest seed.

Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., will open in opposition to American Tommy Paul and Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., drew Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. Each Canadians got wild-card entries together with Britain’s Andy Murray and Belgium’s David Goffin.

The Nationwide Financial institution Open returns to full capability this 12 months for the primary time since 2019. The sphere consists of 41 of the highest 44 gamers within the males’s rankings.

Qualifying play is ready for the weekend and the primary draw begins Monday. The US$6.57-million event alternates between Montreal and Toronto annually.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Aug. 5, 2022.