Top seed Jannik Sinner is back in action this week at the sixth Masters 1000 of the year, the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, an event he won for the first time last year, capturing his maiden career Masters 1000 crown.
During the main draw ceremony held on Saturday, the San Candido native said: “I’m very happy to come back here. It started off from last year’s semis of Wimbledon, and then I came here for the first Masters event I won.
“I’ve been consistent throughout one year, and that’s at least what we will try to do in the next months.”
This season, the world number one is setting off his singles title defense against qualifier Borna Coric on Thursday in Montreal, who beat Spaniard Pedro Martinez in his opener.
Previously, on Tuesday, the Italian paired with Briton Jack Draper, starting their doubles run at the tournament to open with victory over 16th-seeded Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Viliegen.
Sinner and Draper will meet next Alexander Bublik and Ben Shelton in their doubles round of 16 later on Wednesday evening.
The 22-year-old Italian, who pulled out from the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, is playing his first ATP event since the Wimbledon quarterfinals, when he fell 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 to Daniil Medvedev, struggling with fatigue.
The reigning Australian Open champion leads the former world No. 12 Croat 1-0, a match the former won on Monte-Carlo red clay in 2022.
Thursday’s highlights will also feature third seed Medvedev playing Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and world No. 4 Alexander Zverev squaring off against Australian Jordan Thompson.
Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas will clash against Kei Nishikori, who achieved his first Masters 1000 win since 2021 over American Alex Michelsen 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to open proceedings on Canadian soil on Tuesday.