At the time of writing, it’s hard to tell. The National Bank’s Open Table remains very strong despite its notable absences.
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• Also read: Rafael Nadal withdraws from the Montreal tournament
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The other top 10 players, including Auger-Aliassime, will be even hungrier. It is the amateurs who can benefit from this with quality games.
To return to Auger-Aliassime, the withdrawal of the Three Tenors could pave the way for him to a semi-final spot. With solid play and the support of the crowd, anything is possible for the pride of L’Ancienne-Lorette.
The Montreal tournament is important to him. After a Grand Slam title, this is the tournament he would most like to win on the ATP circuit.
He is currently participating in the tournament in Los Cabos, Mexico. After two wins in the first two games, the runner-up is now in the semi-finals.
Participation in the ultimate match is within reach. It would give him a good dose of confidence before arriving in Montreal. This is not to be overlooked.
Nadal is still injured
A brick fell on the heads of the organizers of the National Bank Open on Friday morning. Rafael Nadal, finalist of the last Montreal tournament in 2019, withdrew.
Nadal still hasn’t recovered from his injury at the last Wimbledon tournament. He tore a muscle in his abdomen in a five-run marathon against Taylor Fritz. A few hours later, he decided to retire for the rest of the tournament.
At that time we spoke of a recovery of three to four weeks. His return to playing coincided with the Montreal tournament. He had even ordered a box of balls from director Eugène Lapierre so that he could train on Mallorca.
“I trained for some time without serving and started serving again four days ago,” Nadal said in a statement.
“Yesterday (Thursday) I felt a slight discomfort in the abdominal area after normal practice. Today (Friday) it was still there.
“I’m very sad not to be able to come to Montreal. It’s a tournament I’ve won five times and I love playing it. I sincerely hope that I can return to the tournament to play in front of a crowd, which is always great.”
With a few extra rest days, we can expect Nadal to compete in the final Grand Slam tournament of the season, the United States Open.
Lapierre disappointed
As is always the case when a big name retires, Tournament Director Eugène Lapierre was disappointed by the turn of events.
On the other hand, he was understanding because he knew Nadal’s physical condition.
“We are very disappointed that Rafael cannot join us. It was highly anticipated by fans, Lapierre said.
“On the other hand, despite the disappointment, the tournament remains very tough as we will have the presence of 41 of the 44 best players in the world.”
Nadal’s withdrawal opened the door for American Mackenzie McDonald, who earned a place in the peloton. Very good news for him. He should take part in the qualifiers at the end of the week.
In the last few hours we have also learned of the withdrawal of the American John Isner. He gave way to his compatriot Brendan Nakashima.