Rafael Nadal seeded second at Canadian Open, slated to meet top seed Daniil Medvedev in final
Just over six months ago, Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev produced one of the most electrifying edge-of-the-seat thrillers in the history of tennis. What looked like an easy straight-sets victory for the Russian in the Australian Open final was turned upside down by Nadal as he won the match 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 to lift his 21st Grand Slam title.
Less than a month after the epic five-setter they met once again, in the semifinals of the Mexican Open in Acapulco. This was the sixth meeting between the two players and the Spaniard once again prevailed, this time in straight sets. Nadal currently leads the head-to-head against Medvedev 5-1.
If fans are in luck, they could soon witness a seventh chapter in their rivalry at the National Bank Open, also known as the Canadian Open or the Rogers Cup. The ATP Masters 1000 event is scheduled to be played from August 8-14.
The tournament recently released a list of the players' seedings, with Medvedev and Nadal taking the top two spots. This means that if the two players keep advancing through the draw, they could meet in the final.
5-time champion Rafael Nadal will be the No. 2 seed this year! The last two times he came to Canada he won the title (2018, '19)
#NBO22 | @VIA_Rail https://t.co/xSPLdfFino
While World No. 1 Medvedev is the defending champion in Montreal, Nadal won the event the last two times he played - in 2018 and 2019. In fact, in 2019, the 36-year-old beat Medvedev in the summit clash 6-3, 6-0.
Overall, the Spaniard has lifted the Canadian Open trophy five times in his career.
Needless to say, Medvedev will be hungry for his first title this season. The Russian has lost three finals in 2022, including the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships in 's-Hertogenbosch and the Halle Open.
Here's the list of men's seeds for the National Bank Open:
"Unless I try to win every tournament, it’s probably going to be Rafael Nadal for year-end No. 1" - Daniil Medvedev
Although Rafael Nadal will start his US Open series in Canada next week, Daniil Medvedev is ready for his first match in a couple of days at the Los Cabos Open, an ATP 250 event. Medvedev's first opponent will be World No. 224 Rinky Hijikata of Australia.
During a recent interview with ATPTour.com, the Russian exuded confidence, stating that although Nadal could end up as the top player by the end of the year, he himself would try to play well and stay at No. 1.
White Party at the @AbiertoLosCabos ⚪️😎
@DaniilMedwed https://t.co/qSXGR34Zzc
“For sure I’m watching the battle for No. 1 a little bit. Depends also the moment because I know at the end of the year, unless I try to win every tournament that is left, it’s probably going to be Rafa Nadal for year-end No. 1. But at the same time, I can keep it for quite a long time I feel like if I play good here in the North American hard-court swing," Medvedev said.