The moment we’ve all been waiting for: the final four!
This Wednesday, prepare for an exhilarating semifinal showdown at the National Bank Open, presented by Rogers, happening in the vibrant cities of Montreal and Toronto.
On the men’s side in Montreal, history is in the making as three Americans have advanced to the semifinals— a remarkable feat not seen at the NBO since 1992. Spanish rising star Rafael Jodar stands as the sole contender from outside the U.S. on this thrilling day.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, four athletes ranked in the top 10 are still in the race for glory, collectively boasting an impressive tally of 10 Grand Slam titles.
Here’s what’s brewing for Wednesday at the NBO:
The trio of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal are the only players to have captured back-to-back men’s titles at the NBO this century.
Watch out for Ben Shelton, who is just two matches away from joining the ranks of these legends.
This 23-year-old American has yet to lose a set during this tournament, following his victory at last year’s ATP Masters 1000 in Toronto.
Shelton will take on his fellow American, the 20-year-old Learner Tien, in the semifinals. Tien, seeded 12th, holds a 2-0 career record against the fifth-seeded Shelton.
At just 19, Jodar has reached the NBO semifinals after putting up a strong fight in the Washington finals last week, where he narrowly lost to Taylor Fritz.
Having defeated three higher-ranked opponents in Montreal, the No. 20 seed is favored in his matchup against the 28th seed, Brandon Nakashima from the U.S.
This marked the first career encounter between the two players, each boasting one title in their past.
Starting the year ranked 168th, Jodar is bound to break into the top 11 after this tournament.
Exciting Clash: Swiatek vs. Svitolina
The spotlight turns to the captivating matchup between No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek and No. 9 seed Elina Svitolina.
Swiatek currently leads their head-to-head 4-3, yet Svitolina has triumphed in both encounters this year—a thrilling three-set battle on clay in Rome and another intense match on hard courts at Indian Wells.
Svitolina has already secured two titles this year, while Swiatek eagerly hunts for her first.
Gauff Faces Rybakina
Coco Gauff glided into the semifinals after Belinda Bencic withdrew from their quarterfinal match due to a hip injury.
On the other hand, Elena Rybakina battled through a tough match, needing three sets once again to defeat Naomi Osaka, extending the match to two hours and 33 minutes.
The second semifinal in Toronto showcases the second-seeded Rybakina against the fourth-seeded Gauff, who has kept a clean slate, not dropping a set this tournament.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Men’s Semifinals: 6 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+)
Women’s Semifinals: 7 p.m. (Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet+)
Centre Court (action begins at 4 p.m.)
F. Cerundolo (ARG) / T-M. Etcheverry (ARG) vs. O. Luz (BRA) / R. Matos (BRA)
Not before 6 p.m.: [20] Rafael Jodar (ESP) vs. [28] Brandon Nakashima (USA)
[5] Ben Shelton (USA) vs. [12] Learner Tien (USA)
Rogers Court (action begins at 4 p.m.)
[3] M. Arevalo (ESA) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs. T. Arribage (FRA) / A. Olivetti (FRA)
Centre Court (action starts at 7 p.m.)
[7] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs. [9] Elina Svitolina (UKR)
[4] Coco Gauff (USA) vs. [2] Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Grandstand (action begins at 5 p.m.)
[1] K. Siniakova (CZE) / S. Zhang (CHN) vs. T. Mihalikova (SVK) / O. Nicholls (GBR)
