July 5, 2018
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is one of the most popular sporting events in Canada and considered to be one of the best-run tennis tournaments in the world. Rich in history, it is the third oldest tournament, behind only Wimbledon and the US Open. This summer, fans will witness a special moment in tennis history as they will have the chance to see two different generations of elite tennis players compete against one another. We are currently in a golden age of tennis, where a new group of exciting young players are emerging while the older generation is still competing at the top of their game.
This past year, there has been an ongoing battle on the ATP World Tour between experienced champions and the class of high flying young guns. The 2018 season has been divided, with both groups splitting most of the ATP 250, 500 and Masters 1000 titles. In the Grand Slams, however, it has been a complete domination by the tour veterans, most notably Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. In fact, the last major title not won by either of these two players, dates back to the 2016 US Open when Stan Wawrinka was crowned champion.
While both Nadal and Federer are playing some of the best tennis of their careers well into their thirties, they are not the only players of this generation who will be primed for a deep run in Toronto. Four-time Rogers Cup champion Novak Djokovic has returned to the court after a brief hiatus due to injury. Despite a relatively slow start to the season, he has picked up his game, making him a definite threat. Another name that fans will recognize is that of 2009 US Open Champion, Juan Martin del Potro. After a number of wrist injuries, the Tower of Tandil is back in top form this season, notably winning his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and climbing back into the Top 10 in the rankings.
As for the players belonging to the younger generation, Alexander Zverev is one to watch out for. The young German has been a dominant force on the professional tour. At only 21 years of age, he already has three Masters 1000 titles to his name, one of which he won at the Rogers Cup in Montreal last summer. He became only the second player outside of the Big Four to take home the title on Canadian soil in the past 10 years. Dominic Thiem is another young player who could challenge the dominance of the older generation. He is the only player to have defeated Rafael Nadal on clay this year. These two players will lead the pack of young stars in their quest to dethrone their more experienced counterparts.
At the heart of this generational clash also lie a number of Canadian players, including Daniel Nestor, Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, Denis Shapovalov, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Peter Polansky, among others. With Nestor at the helm of the veteran squad, this group has inspired a younger generation of players to follow in their footsteps. Playing in Canada gives our players home court advantage and they have taken advantage of this, notably Nestor, who has won the doubles title twice and has reached the final three other times. In more recent tournaments, Raonic reached the finals in 2013 and Shapovalov made a run to the semi-finals last year in Montreal. Our contingent of players will be ready to leave it all out on the court this August.
At the end of last year, legendary Canadian doubles player Daniel Nestor announced that 2018 would be his last season competing on the professional tour. One of the most accomplished doubles players in the history of the game, he will be playing at the Rogers Cup for the 30th and final time this August. Throughout his stellar career, he has been World No. 1 in doubles, won 91 titles, including eight Grand Slam titles, and has accumulated over 1,000 victories.
The Toronto native will be honoured at the Game. Set. Match. Daniel Nestor presented by Sandeep Lal and Tennis Fans like you gala fundraising event, which will take place on Sunday, August 5 at the Roy Thompson Hall. The event will begin with a roast led by Shaun Majumder, with help from Sportsnet’s Caroline Cameron. Several current and former ATP and Canadian Davis Cup players will also take part in the festivities. Nestor will then be inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a can’t miss event to celebrate a trailblazer for Canadian tennis. For more information, please visit www.roythomsonhall.com or call 416-872-4255.
While the main focus remains on the players, the Rogers Cup is not just another tennis tournament. It all begins with the 407 ETR Free Community Weekend on August 4 and 5, where fans can not only attend some high quality qualifying matches, but also enjoy a variety of contests, games, live music and characters from kids’ television programs on the site. In addition to the array of activities, this year’s tournament will also offer its guests an enhanced dining experience. For the first time, there will be a signature food item available to spectators, “The Championship Maple Churro”, as well as a signature cocktail, the “Aperol Spritz”.
In 2018, fans will be able to go from downtown Toronto directly to the Rogers Cup using the subway, another first for the tournament. The Pioneer Village Station was added to Line One, making it easier than ever for spectators to reach the Aviva Centre. Fans are encouraged to leave their cars at home and take advantage of the opportunity of a stress-free subway ride on their way to watch some world class tennis.
Stay connected to the tournament with the Rogers Cup app which has all the up-to-date scores, schedules, news, and a whole lot more. Download it for free from the App Store to benefit from its numerous features to stay in the know all tournament-long. Don’t want to miss a music performance? Check out the event schedule. Going to grab some dinner? Keep track of the scores on Centre Court so as to not miss the start of the blockbuster night session.
The easy-to-use parking feature allows spectators to retrieve helpful parking lot information and track the shuttle bus routes. Fans can also win prizes by participating in fun games on the app, such as predicting who will win the tournament by competing in the Bracket Challenge.
To not miss a single second of world class tennis, guests can order food and beverages right to their seats on Centre Court with the in-seat service feature. The Rogers Cup app will also elevate the fans’ social media experience with the Fan Stream screen. View social media posts on a live feed and earn points for answering trivia questions and participating in challenges. These points can then be redeemed for some great prizes at the Tennis Canada rewards store.
With all this and more going on, the 2018 edition of Rogers Cup is set to one of the best yet. A strong field of players set to compete in this year’s tournament combined with the entertainment factor, ‘the Six’ is definitely the place to be this summer. For more information on the 2018 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank or to purchase tickets, please visit rogerscup.com or call 1-877-2TENNIS.