With Roland-Garros now simply a few weeks away, the standing of the favourites for the women and men appear to be trending in several instructions after the outcomes on the Madrid Open.
For the boys, it’s changing into clear who the overwhelming favorite it, whereas on the ladies’s facet it obtained a bit murkier when the WTA’s dominant power on clay misplaced to an in-form rival.
Right here’s what it’s good to know.
In Case You Missed It: World No. 2s are No. 1 in Madrid
Regardless of all of the sudden outcomes and upsets that outlined the boys’s draw on the Madrid Open, the ultimate stunned few, with Carlos Alcaraz efficiently defending his title at his house Masters 1000 occasion.
He defeated one of many largest surprises in ATP 1000 historical past, Jan-Lennard Struff, within the remaining. Struff was the primary Fortunate Loser ever to succeed in a Masters 1000 remaining.
Learn the total occasion recap on the Nationwide Financial institution Open web site.
The ladies’s draw had a really predictable remaining matchup, though maybe a stunning outcome with world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka upsetting No. 1 Iga Swiatek within the remaining simply two weeks after the Pole was victorious of their matchup within the Stuttgart remaining.
Learn the total occasion recap on the Omnium Banque Nationale web site.
No Canadians made it to the second week of the singles attracts, however three pairs that includes Canadians reached a minimum of the quarter-finals of the doubles.
Gabriela Dabrowski and companion Luisa Stefani reached the final eight earlier than shedding to high seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Staff Shauger, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, reached the boys’s quarter-finals the place they misplaced to Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.
One of the best outcome belonged to Leylah Annie Fernandez as she and Taylor Townsend reached the ladies’s doubles semifinals, shedding in a third-set tremendous tiebreak to the eventual event champions Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia.
What to Watch: Final Probability in Rome
Yet one more 1000-level occasion stands between now and the top of the clay-court season, Roland-Garros.
Solely three Canadians characteristic in the primary attracts of the singles this week on the Italian Open in Rome.
Bianca Andreescu continues her comeback from damage and, because the twenty fourth seed, has a first-round bye. She’s going to play both Marketa Vondrousova or Kaia Kanepi within the second spherical. The draw has not been sort to Andreescu who may play No. 9 seed Maria Sakkari in spherical three. Andreescu did defeat Sakkari earlier this yr in Miami.
Had been she to stun Sakkari once more, the draw wouldn’t get any simpler for the Canadian No. 1 who may face seventh-seed Elena Rybakina in spherical 4, doubtlessly adopted by world No. 1 Iga Swiatek within the quarter-finals.
Leylah Annie Fernandez doesn’t have a bye and performs Aliaksandra Sasnovich in spherical one. She would face twenty first seed Donna Vekic in spherical two and will meet Swiatek within the fourth spherical.
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Gabriela Dabrowski can be competing within the doubles. The draw has not but been introduced.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is the lone Canadian man within the draw after Denis Shapovalov withdrew citing an damage. Auger-Aliassime is seeded tenth. The draw has but to be revealed.
Swiatek and Novak Djokovic are the defending champions.
All the ATP Prime 10 is competing in Rome, though as soon as once more notably absent is 10-time champion Rafael Nadal who remains to be out with a hip damage suffered on the Australian Open. It’s the first time since 2004 that the King of Clay has missed all three clay-court Masters 1000 occasions, leaving his standing for Roland-Garros very a lot up within the air. In 2004, he additionally missed the French Open.
9 of the WTA’s Prime 10 are within the draw, solely lacking Petra Kvitova.
Underneath the Radar: Unbelievable Fung
Whereas the Madrid Open noticed the Canadians finally fall quick, Stacey Fung was busy having a breakthrough on the ITF circuit.
The 26-year-old received the most important title of her profession final week, claiming the W40 title in Tbilisi, Georgia. All of her earlier six ITF titles had been W25 or decrease.
Fung dropped only one set on her strategy to the crown, claiming it when her finals opponent retired after the Canadian took the primary set. It’s Fung’s second title of 2023 and seventh total. She’s going to look to double up in Georgia at a W25 occasion this week.
She was not the one Canadian to attain some {hardware} final week, as Roy Stepanov additionally received his first profession ITF title, claiming the doubles crown on the M15 in Orange Park, Florida, alongside American companion Vasil Kirkov.
Gabriel Diallo is competing on the ATP Challenger Tour this week in Busan, South Korea.
You’ll be able to observe the Canadians in motion each week right here.
