World No. 1 Rafael Nadal became the first player to guarantee his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday. And now, the Spaniard has a chance to lift his fifth trophy of the year on Sunday in the Rogers Cup final. But it will not be easy for the top seed, with red-hot #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas trying to earn his maiden tour-level crown.

History will be made regardless of the outcome. The Spaniard will extend his record count of ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles to 33, or Tsitsipas will claim his fifth consecutive victory against a Top 10 opponent. Since the inception of the ATP Rankings on 23 August 1973, no player has claimed an ATP World Tour title by beating five Top 10 opponents outside of the Nitto ATP Finals.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the Rogers Cup & vote for who you think will win! 
Nadal vs Tsitsipas

It’s fitting that the pair’s first and only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting came in a final earlier this year at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, which was Tsitsipas’ first championship match at tour-level. Albeit on clay, Nadal asserted his authority, breaking five times in a 78-minute beatdown.

“Tsitsipas has an amazing future,” Nadal said after the match.

But even the Spaniard wouldn’t have expected the Greek, whose 20th birthday is today, to rise so quickly. The week he reached the final in Spain, Tsitsipas was No. 63 in the ATP Rankings. Less than four months later, he will climb to at least No. 15 on Monday, with only 16 points to defend through the US Open.

Tsitsipas can also become the youngest Masters 1000 champion since Novak Djokovic (19) triumphed at Miami in 2007 and the first player to claim his maiden tour-level trophy at this level since Albert Portas (2001 Hamburg). But the Greek is not overthinking the opportunity at hand. He’s maintaining the same approach that has helped him come to a simple conclusion after saving match point to beat South African Kevin Anderson in a third-set tie-break in the semi-finals: ‘I’m living the dream’.

“[It’s] just another day at the office. Doesn’t matter. It’s a final. I will not see it as a final. I will just think of it as just another match here in Toronto in a beautiful city,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m doing my routines every single day. So just one more day, the last day… [I’ll give it] my best shot, go for it 100 per cent and see what happens.”

It certainly won’t be an easy task against Nadal, who is trying to join Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl as the only players in the Open Era with 80 titles (79-36 in finals). The 32-year-old can also win his fourth Rogers Cup, a feat he has never accomplished at any other hard-court event. Nadal has triumphed at the US Open, the Canadian Masters 1000 event and the BNP Paribas Open three times each.

But that’s not all that’s at stake for the left-hander. After exchanging World No. 1 with Roger Federer six times in the first six months of the season, Nadal has an opportunity to strengthen his lead, which was 2,230 points over the Swiss entering the week. Federer, who did not compete this week, was defending 600 points from his runner-up finish in Canada last year, while Nadal earned just 90 points in 2017 for reaching the third round (l. to Shapovalov).

It will be interesting to see how Nadal reacts to Tsitsipas’ powerful and accurate inside-in forehand, which has done the most damage for the Greek in wins against Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Anderson. Nadal is as fleet of foot as they come, but this meeting is on a much quicker surface than the red dirt they played on earlier in the year.

“He’s a complex player. He has everything. He’s young, he has passion for the game. He has a great forehand, great backhand, good serve, so he’s not about one thing. He’s about everything,” Nadal said. “These kind of matches you need to play very well to win, and that’s what I’m going to try.”

After their last clash, in the Barcelona final, Tsitsipas said, “I knew the chances to win were small.”

It is clear the gap has narrowed since. But will it be enough for the #NextGenATP star to conquer one of tennis’ toughest tests?

It has been five years since Rafael Nadal last won an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title on hard courts. The World No. 1 looks primed to end the streak right now in Toronto.

Following a two-hour rain delay on Saturday, Nadal did not waste any time in dismissing Karen Khachanov 7-6(3), 6-4 under the lights in Toronto. The Spaniard will next face Stefanos Tsitsipas, with a fourth Rogers Cup crown and an unprecedented 33rd at the Masters 1000 level on the line.

Nadal, whose last hard-court Masters 1000 title came in Cincinnati in 2013, is into his first Rogers Cup final since that impressive summer stretch five years ago, which saw him complete the Canada-Cincy double and win the US Open. He is 3-0 in finals in Canada, also prevailing in 2005 and 2008.

After enduring a slow start in his quarter-final win over Marin Cilic on Friday, Nadal experienced no early struggles on Saturday. Khachanov did well to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm with potent strikes off his mammoth forehand, but Nadal never lost control. He overcame a 0/30 deficit at 4-all in the first set and later rallied from a mini-break down in the ensuing tie-break, snatching the opener by the slimmest of margins.

As strong as Khachanov’s forehand is, it leaked 23 unforced errors during the one-hour and 49-minute affair. Nadal would grab a stranglehold on proceedings in the second set, with a quick break in the third game. And his serve did not come under pressure from there, eventually prevailing on his first match point with a leaping smash that soared over the Russian’s head.

“He’s a great server,” Nadal said of Khachanov. “Hits big shots from the baseline. He has an especially great backhand and he can hit the forehand very strong too. It’s true with the forehand sometimes he has mistakes too, but he plays very aggressive and he hits the ball very strong.

“I needed to resist and play aggressive. When I was able to move him, I think I was a little bit more in control. But it’s difficult to make that happen because he hits the ball very strong.”

Nadal’s Most Successful Hard-Court Tournaments

Khachanov concludes a dream week which has seen the 22-year-old Russian reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final. He did not drop a set in four matches entering the semis, including his first Top 10 victory in more than a year (d. No. 9 Isner). The Moscow native will reap the rewards in the ATP Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 26 on Monday.

Nadal carries a 79-36 record in tour-level finals into Sunday’s championship clash against Tsitsipas. He is hoping to cap a magical week, which has already seen him qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in London, by becoming the fourth player in the Open Era with 80 titles.

It will be déjà vu for Nadal and Tsitsipas, following their final encounter at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in April. The match, which was the Greek’s first ATP World Tour final, resulted in a straight-set victory for the Spaniard. But, with a different surface and Tsitsipas in the form of his life, fans will be treated with an intriguing championship clash on Sunday.

“Tomorrow is a day to play a great match against a very tough opponent,” Nadal added. “And I hope to be ready for it. It’s another Masters 1000 final. But still a lot of work to do. If it happens, it’s going to be great news of course. Canada is a tournament that I play well a lot of times in my career. And it’s a very important result for me to be back here where I am.”

One year ago, Grigor Dimitrov earned what was his biggest title, defeating Aussie Nick Kyrgios to lift his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy. But he faces a tough task if he wants to triumph at the Western & Southern Open again, with the top 13 players in the ATP Rankings in the draw.

Roger Federer and Andy Murray, who have combined to win the tournament in nine of the past 13 years, could face one another in the third round, while 2013 champion and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will look to add a second victory at the event to his resumé. This is also the only Masters 1000 event that 69-time tour-level titlist Novak Djokovic has not won. He has reached the final here five times.

View Draw

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN CINCINNATI
1) Reunited: It’s been more than a year since Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray have competed together at a tournament. For the first time since Wimbledon last year, the complete ‘Big Four’ will take to the same court for the Western & Southern Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.

2) Nadal-Federer No. 1 Update: Nadal and Federer exchanged the No. 1 ATP Ranking six times in the first six months of 2018. It cannot change hands in Cincinnati and Nadal is ensured the No. 1 seed at the US Open. Nadal defeated Federer en route to his lone Cincinnati title in 2013. He added the US Open title three weeks later and is the only man to sweep Cincinnati and the US Open since Federer in 2007.

3) Swisscinnati: Federer is 41-4 since starting his career 1-4 in Cincinnati. The Swiss missed the tournament the past two years, yet his seven titles remain a tournament record. He also owns the most titles in tournament history at Halle (9), Wimbledon (8), Basel (8), Dubai (7), the Nitto ATP Finals (6), Doha (3) and Rotterdam (3). Federer is seeking the 99th tour-level championship of his career.

4) Golden Masters: Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have all earned a career Grand Slam. This week, Djokovic can outdo Nadal and Federer by becoming the first player to own trophies from all nine Masters 1000 events. Djokovic is 0-5 in Cincinnati finals and is appearing at the event for the first time since 2015.

5) Murray 2.0: Murray missed 11 months with a hip injury before returning for two events in June. The Scot earned three wins in three sets to reach the Washington quarter-finals two weeks ago in his third tournament back. The 31-year-old Brit is a two-time Cincinnati champion.

6) Finally No. 3: Juan Martin del Potro achieved a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings on 11 January 2010. Four wrist surgeries and nearly nine years later, the Argentine will climb to No. 3 for the first time on Monday.

7) Betterer than Federer: Zverev’s next ATP World Tour title will be the 10th of his career. The German has until 20 April 2019 to join Nadal, Djokovic and Murray among the players to win 10 championships before turning 22. Federer captured his 10th title at 2003 Vienna — 65 days after his 22nd birthday.

8) The Champ is Here: Dimitrov did not drop a set, and only once dropped his serve, en route to the 2017 Cincinnati title. The Bulgarian held in 52 of 53 service games for the biggest title of his career at the time. Dimitrov went on to win the Nitto ATP Finals in November.

9) All He Does is Win: #NextGenATP player Stefanos Tsitsipas lost eight straight matches last year to begin his ATP World Tour career. He’s a new man in 2018, cracking the Top 20 on Monday thanks to his efforts at the Rogers Cup, where he is into his maiden Masters 1000 final. The Greek has beaten four straight Top 10 players, becoming the youngest player to do so since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990.

10) Different Socks: Wimbledon doubles champions Mike Bryan and Jack Sock will team up again in Cincinnati, after reaching the quarter-finals together in Toronto. Sock is 26-9 in doubles this season, winning four doubles titles with four different partners in 2018.

It happens every year on the ATP Challenger Tour. Players making the biggest strides on the circuit are not only scoring valuable match wins and trophies, but significant gains in the ATP Rankings.

The 2018 season is no exception. Among those with the highest Challenger win percentages, three of the top four have made some of the biggest progress in surging up the ATP Rankings. Challenger success also inevitably leads to opportunities to showcase skills on the ATP World Tour and many have already taken full advantage.

With the mid-season pole in the rearview mirror, we review the biggest movers to career-highs in the Top 150. It’s no surprise that all of them have made their mark on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2018.

Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 
+240 to No. 122
For Londero, success is well worth the wait. The 24-year-old is bursting onto the scene in 2018, behind 30 match wins and a pair of titles in Mexico City and Marburg, Germany. After first beginning his ascent in 2014, a series of health issues would see him plummet down the ATP Rankings. But now fully healthy, a resurgent campaign has injected new life into the Argentine. Not only does he boast the fourth-highest win-loss percentage on tour (30-9, .769), he has reaped the rewards with 240-spot rise to a career-high World No. 122.

Read: Meet Argentina’s Newest Star

Ugo Humbert (FRA)
+237 to No. 141
The 20-year-old Frenchman is the newest kid on the block, having just recently made his mark with three consecutive final appearances in July. He would lift his first Challenger trophy last week in Segovia, capping a stunning ascent to a career-high No. 141 in the ATP Rankings. One year ago, Humbert was outside the Top 700 and today he is one of two #NextGenATP Frenchmen (also Moutet) knocking on the door of the Top 100. It just goes to show that one breakthrough tournament is often all it takes. Entering July, Humbert owned five Challenger matches wins. After a 13-2 stretch, he is now the hottest player on tour.

Read: Five Things To Know About Ugo

Jason Kubler (AUS)
+236 to No. 105
Kubler’s health woes have been well documented over the years, but the Aussie is finally healthy and taking aim at the Top 100. There is no doubt that he has the game to compete with the very best and now the confidence and consistency are coming together. After notching his first hard-court title in his first hard-court tournament late last year, he has thrived on the surface in 2018, winning a pair of titles in Playford, Australia and Winnipeg, Canada. Moreover, Kubler’s 31 match wins has him tied with Hugo Dellien for the tour lead, vaulting him 236 spots to No. 105.

Watch: The Comeback Story Of Jason Kubler

Alex de Minaur (AUS)
+163 to No. 45
Yes, you read that correctly. It’s not often that a player breaks into the Top 200, Top 100 and Top 50 in the same season. De Minaur has already achieved the feat and it’s only August. The Aussie teen is establishing himself as a significant threat this year, not only on the ATP Challenger Tour, but on the ATP World Tour as well. He has reached finals at the 500 level in Washington, 250 level in Sydney and at a trio of Challengers, lifting his maiden trophy on the grass of Nottingham. One of three teens in the Top 50, De Minaur’s .783 win percentage (18-5) is second-highest on the Challenger circuit this year.

Hugo Dellien (BOL)
+141 to No. 100
It has been a historic breakthrough campaign for Dellien and his native Bolivia. The first titlist from his country since Mario Martinez more than 30 years ago, he is also the first to crack the Top 100 since his countryman in 1984. Five years after making his Challenger debut, Dellien has finally put it all together, crashing onto the scene with a tour-leading three titles (Sarasota, Savannah, Vicenza) and 31 match wins. He broke into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings on 30 July, one of the biggest sporting achievements for the developing South American nation.

Read: Dellien’s Historic Breakthrough

Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
+126 to No. 112
One year ago, Poland’s #NextGenATP star was sitting outside the Top 400 and looking to find his form on the ATP Challenger Tour. Safe to say that Hurkacz has discovered it in 2018. At 21 years and three months, he became the youngest player from his country to triumph on the circuit since Jerzy Janowicz in 2010, with his victory at home in Poznan. Another final in Zhuhai, China, as well as a first Grand Slam match win at Roland Garros, has the 21-year-old up to a career-high of No. 112 in the ATP Rankings.

Read: Five Things To Know About Hubert

Mats Moraing (GER)
+126 to No. 148
After winning his maiden Challenger crown in Koblenz, Germany, in January, Moraing exclaimed that he hopes to complete the climb to the Top 100 by the end of the year. What seemed ambitious at first is now certainly attainable for the 26-year-old German. Behind 28 match wins, the big-serving 6’6″ German is up to a career-high No. 148 in the ATP Rankings.

Read: Five Things To Know About Mats

Jason Jung (TPE)
+125 to No. 114
It has been seven years since Jung first turned pro and the Taiwanese No. 1 is proving that it’s never too late to make your mark. At the age of 29, the former University of Michigan standout rose to a career-high No. 114 in the ATP Rankings two weeks ago. Playing the best tennis of his career, he lifted a Challenger trophy for the third consecutive year with his victory in San Francisco in February. And he finally broke through on the ATP World Tour last month, winning his first tour-level match in Newport, en route to the quarter-finals. It came two weeks after making his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon.  

Read: Jung: “It’s Pretty Unbelievable”