Canadian Open 2024: 3 dark horses to win the men's singles title ft. Sebastian Korda
The Canadian Open 2024 will be held from August 6-12, and will be the 134th edition of the tournament. World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner returns to action after a bout of tonsillitis ruled him out of the Paris Olympics.
Novak Djokovic laid his hands on the elusive Olympic gold at the Games with a win over Carlos Alcaraz in the final. The two are taking some well deserved rest after their Olympic campaign.
While two of the tour's leading stars are amiss, there are plenty of big names in the fray who will be the favorites to win the title. Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev both won the tournament in the past, and will be among the top choices to triumph once again.
However, while all eyes usually gravitate towards the top guns, there are a few players waiting to make their breakthroughs on the big stage as well. With that in mind, here's a look at three dark horses who could walk away as victor of the men's singles event at the Canadian Open:
#3 - Jack Draper
Draper finally nabbed his maiden title on the ATP Tour at this year's Boss Open in Stuttgart with a comeback win over Matteo Berrettini in the final. It marked his first title after a couple of runner-up finishes, including one at this year's Adelaide International.
Draper also secured an impressive win over World No. 2 Alcaraz in the second round of the Cinch Championships. The young Brit is making the right moves and challenging the top players, so it's only a matter of time before he takes the next step and wins a big title.
Draper reached the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open in 2022 as a qualifier. He knocked out players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Gael Monfils to do the same. Injuries have frequently halted his momentum but now that he's in good shape, better results are expected from him.
#2 - Sebastian Korda
Great things were expected from Korda since he reached the fourth round of the French Open four years ago on his Major debut. However, he has largely been overshadowed by his peers, mainly because he hasn't been that consistent with his results.
Korda won his maiden title at the Emilia-Romagna Open back in 2021, and lost the next five finals that he contested, including one at the Libema Open a couple of months ago.
The American has now captured his second title, and the biggest of his career, at last week's Citi Open in Washington. He saved a couple of match points in the third round against Thanasi Kokkinakis, and fought from a set down to beat Flavio Cobolli 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the final.
Additionally, Korda's father also triumphed here way back in 1992, making this victory even sweeter for him. Both of his best results at Masters tournaments have been on hardcourts. He reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open in 2021, and the semifinals of last year's Shanghai Masters.
Korda has momentum on his side, and a chance to make the world take notice of him with a memorable run at the Canadian Open. He made the second round on his debut there last year, and could go a lot further this time if he continues to play at this level.
#1 - Tommy Paul
Paul has slowly made his way to the big leagues over the last few years, and has established himself as a credible threat. However, he currently saddles the middle, as he's not the top pick to win most tournaments but occupies a spot in the middle of the pack.
This year's Canadian Open offers a chance for Paul to break that perception with a triumph. He won the bronze medal in men's doubles at the Paris Olympics, and captured his first title at the ATP 500 level at the Cinch Championships. He also won the Dallas Open earlier this year, and finished as the runner-up at the Delray Beach Open.
Paul has already reached a couple of semifinals at the Masters level this year, at the Indian Wells Masters and the Italian Open. He has also improved his results at the Canadian Open over the years.
After bowing out in the second round on his first two attempts, Paul reached the quarterfinals in 2022. He went a round further at last year's edition, that too with a win over the top-ranked Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. With some solid results at the venue and this season, the stage is set for the American to capture his first Masters title.