The only member of the so-called Big 3 at the start of the race towards the United States Open, Rafael Nadal will confront in the 1000 Masters of Montreal with the players who try to break through at the top. The left-hander, first seeded series, will return to the courts on Wednesday after the defeat against Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals, on July 12. Djokovic and Federer have decided to pass up this tournament to concentrate on Cincinnati, which takes place next week, filming before the last major of the course (New York, August 26-September 8). Nadal will decide if he also plays in Ohio once he completes his participation in Canada, where he defends the title.

The Spaniard faces the most difficult phase of each season in good physical condition. It is at this point in the course and on hard courts where his knee suffers most, which did not prevent him, in addition to the success mentioned in 2018, certifying the third title in New York a year earlier. Finalist in Melbourne at the beginning of the year, he lost to Nick Kyrgios in the second round of Acapulco and did not dispute the semifinals of Indian Wells against Federer due to physical problems. So far the balance of the year in cement or similar surfaces. Going further back, there is a disturbing fact: it has failed to complete 17 of its last 20 participations in the field that concerns us. In the last edition of the US Open he retired in the semifinals when he lost with Juan Martín del Potro, being forced to end the season.

The dangers of the hard track

"If I am thinking about this problem when I play, I could not play," said the Spanish regarding the fatalities on this surface. «I am thinking about the ball, the opponent and that I have to do my best. I am not worried. If something happens, I will accept it and that's it. I am not putting more emphasis on it, because when you think negatively there are more chances that things can happen.

His first opponent in Montreal may be Alex de Miñaur, if the Australian surpasses a player from the previous phase. World number 25 and recent winner in Atlanta of the second title of his career, the Sydney tennis player has lost his two games with Nadal for the same result, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-4: this year in the second round of the Open from Australia and the past in the same instance of Wimbledon.

Montreal has in the 12 times winner of Roland Garros to the flag of the prevailing order. The selective criteria of the three great dominators of the circuit for three decades have even begun to hinder their confluence in competitions in the range of the 1000 Masters. It is clear that the fight is limited to the four great ones. You know: Federer, 20; Nadal, 18, and Djokovic, 16.

After winning Federer in the Wimbledon final, the Serbian has spent a few days in Marbella with his wife Jelena, with time for some training with the presence of Pepe Imaz. The world number 1 maintains a good relationship with whoever it was like his spiritual guru until he returned to work with Marian Vajda, his lifelong coach. Federer went to the Swiss mountains to try to forget the two match points that he could not take advantage of in the final of the tournament he has done eight times.

Dominic Thiem, champion on Saturday in Kitzbuhel, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas will be, from the outset, the main opposition for Nadal to achieve his fifth title in Canada and the thirty-fifth Masters 1000, thus widening the distance with Djokovic, who is 33.

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  • Rafael Nadal
  • Roger Federer
  • Novak Djokovic
  • Wimbledon
  • Roland Garros
  • US Open

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