Canadian Open 2024: 5 favorites to win the men's singles title ft. Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev
Most of the top players on the ATP Tour have assembled in Montreal for the Canadian Open 2024. The tournament will take place from August 6-12, and will have a Tuesday start this time in order to give participants from the Paris Olympics more time to recover.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, two of the sport's biggest entities, have opted to skip the tournament. The former defeated the latter in the final to win the gold medal at the Olympics on Sunday, August 4. The two will be back in action at next week's Masters event in Cincinnati.
Despite their absence, there are quite a few in-form players still in the mix. On that note, here's a look at the five leading contenders to win the men's singles title at this year's Canadian Open:
#5 - Casper Ruud
Ruud has a 43-13 record for the season, though a little over half of those wins have come on clay. He captured the biggest title of his career at the Barcelona Open, and recently made the quarterfinals of the Olympics. He also finished as the runner-up at the Monte-Carlo Masters, and made the French Open semifinals.
Ruud has performed quite well on hardcourts as well, with an 18-5 record on the surface. He reached the finals of the Los Cabos Open and the Mexican Open, and the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters and the fourth round of the Miami Open.
The Norwegian is a former semifinalist at the Canadian Open, reaching the last four back in 2022. He also reached the quarterfinals on his debut in 2021. He has been quite consistent this year, and if he raises his level even further, then he could capture his first Masters title here as well.
#4 - Taylor Fritz
Fritz has been in pretty impressive form this season. He reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon quarterfinals, and the fourth round of the French Open. He added two more titles to his resume this year, one at the Delray Beach Open and another at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.
Fritz also won the bronze medal in men's doubles at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. With a 37-13 record for the year, he stands out as one of the season's most consistent performers.
As one of the few players to have won a Masters tournament before in the Canadian Open draw, he knows what it takes to go all the way. The American hasn't made it past the third round here so far but his good string of results could push him to overturn his dismal record at the venue.
#3 - Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev reached the final of the Australian Open for the third time this year but suffered another heartbreaking loss. He led Jannik Sinner by two sets to love in the championship match but lost the contest in five sets. He later reached the semifinals of the Rotterdam Open and the Miami Open, and the final of the Indian Wells Masters.
Medvedev's clay swing wasn't as fruitful this time, though he did make the last eight of the Madrid Open and the fourth round of the French Open. He reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second year in a row, and lost to Alcaraz once again.
The Russian is currently the only player in the top 10 without a title to his name in the last 52 weeks. He won the Canadian Open back in 2021 but he has also never claimed the same title twice in his career thus far. However; his record on hardcourts is commendable, and he remains one of the favorites to win the title in Montreal this year.
#2 - Alexander Zverev
Zverev shined during the hardcourt swing during the start of the season. He reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, Miami Open, and the Los Cabos Open, along with a quarterfinal run at the Indian Wells Masters. He also won the United Cup with his fellow Germans.
Zverev's biggest triumphs took place on clay this season. He finished as the runner-up to Alcaraz at the French Open, won the Italian Open, and made the final in Hamburg as well. His title defence at the Paris Olympics came to an end in the quarterfinals against Lorezno Musetti.
The German won the Canadian Open back in 2017, that too over Roger Federer in the final. However, he has won only five more matches from his next three appearances at the tournament. He currently leads the tour in terms of match wins with a 47-14 record. While his recent results at the venue aren't encouraging, his form this year could propel him to a title.
#1 - Jannik Sinner
Sinner's career-best season has seen him capture his maiden Major title at the Australian Open and ascend to the top of the rankings as well. He also won titles in Rotterdam, Miami, and Halle. The Italian has reached at least the quarterfinals of every tournament he has participated in this year, and has a 42-4 record for the season.
Last year's Canadian Open marked a significant turning point in Sinner's career. He captured his maiden Masters 1000 title, which set the stage for his incredible run in the fall, and his rise to the top this year. Given his record this year, and the absence of Alcaraz, the only player to beat him twice this year, he's the top pick to win the title here for the second year in a row.