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Rafael Nadal confirmed on Wednesday his plans to travel to Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open, where he could secure a return to World No. 1.

If the Spaniard wins the ATP Masters 1000 title and current World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev fails to reach the quarter-finals, Nadal would rise to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 36-year-old is set for his first competitive appearance since pulling out of Wimbledon just before the semi-finals with an abdominal injury he sustained during the London fortnight. His difficult decision not to play Nick Kyrgios in that semi-final has allowed him a relatively quick return from the muscle tear.

Nadal confirmed his return in an Instagram post, where he said: "Very happy to play again in Cincy. Flying there tomorrow."

Nick Kyrgios’ red-hot form claimed its biggest scalp yet on Wednesday in Montreal, where the Australian prevailed 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 in a heavyweight National Bank Open Presented by Rogers second-round clash against World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.

Kyrgios’ frequently deployed serve and volley tactics to exploit Medvedev’s deep positioning on return and the strategy largely paid off for the World No. 37, who lifted his seventh ATP Tour title in Washington on Sunday. Kyrgios faced just two break points during the two-hour encounter at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The win is Kyrgios’ second over a reigning World No. 1, after he defeated Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014. He will face 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov or countryman Alex de Minaur in the third round in Quebec, a stage the Australian has never progressed past at the Canadian Masters 1000 event.

More to follow…

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An inspired Tommy Paul cut short the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers debut of Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday in Montreal, where the American prevailed 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3 in a second-round epic.

Paul was on the brink of his third consecutive second-round exit at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event when he faced match point at 6/7 in the second-set tie-break, but the 25-year-old held his nerve to force a decider in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with the second seed. Consistent ballstriking from deep earned Paul a decisive break of serve in the third set as the World No. 34 wrapped a three-hour, 19-minute marathon win to book a third-round matchup against 13th seed Marin Cilic or Karen Khachanov.

“It’s nice to finish matches at the net,” said Paul after he came forward to convert his fifth match point. “He hit a pretty nice passing shot there at the last point and I covered the line well, volleyed it well. I think I did a lot of things well today. I played a good level of tennis, especially there in the third set, so I’m happy to get through.”

✅ Rublev
✅ Berrettini
✅ Zverev
✅ Alcaraz@TommyPaul1 digs deep for his fourth Top ? win in 10 months!#OBN22 pic.twitter.com/lylPHfP7aB

Paul had also been under pressure early in the second set after Alcaraz opened up a 4-1 lead to move within two games of victory. The American responded with four games in a row to storm back into the contest, and despite ultimately requiring a tie-break to clinch the set Paul admitted he felt confident on return throughout.

The USTA on Wednesday announced “The Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition”, an event to be held on Ukraine Independence Day, 24 August, to benefit the people of Ukraine under the Tennis Plays for Peace programme.

Stars participating in the event include Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berrettini, John McEnroe, Coco Gauff, Leylah Fernandez, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka. They will play a series of singles and mixed doubles matches inside Louis Armstrong Stadium from 7 to 9 p.m.

Tennis Plays for Peace, which is comprised of tennis’ governing bodies and the Grand Slam events, has raised more than $1 million in humanitarian aid and the USTA expects to raise at least $2 million more during the US Open.

"The US Open is a stage that attracts millions of passionate fans, and it is incumbent upon us to help guide this passion to help those who desperately need it," said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Mike McNulty. "This is a vitally important cause, and I'm proud of the way in which our sport has rallied together to lend a much-needed hand to our friends in Ukraine. I'm likewise proud that we are able to use the global platform of the US Open to enhance the giving effort, and I urge everyone to do all they can to help us show the people of Ukraine that we stand with them in their time of need."

The seventh ATP Masters 1000 event of the season is the Western & Southern Open, which is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati.

Here is everything you need to know about the hard-court tournament:

When is the Western & Southern Open?

The 2022 Western & Southern Open will be held from 14-21 August. The hard-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1889, will take place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The tournament director is Eric Butorac.

Who is playing at the 2022 Western & Southern Open?

The Western & Southern Open will feature stars including World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

When is the draw for the Western & Southern Open?

The Cincinnati draw will be made Friday, 12 August at a time to be confirmed.

Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev made an impressive debut as a doubles team on Tuesday.

The singles stars upset reigning Wimbledon titlists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 3-6, 6-2, 10-8 to reach the second round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. It will not get any easier for Dimitrov and Rublev, who will next try to upset second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

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Two-time Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies survived a stern test from Lukasz Kubot and Stan Wawrinka. The Germans battled through a Match Tie-break 4-6, 6-1, 10-5.

In other doubles action, Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop eliminated Karen Khachanov and Denis Shapovalov 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-6. The Indian-Dutch duo will next face the Polish team of Hubert Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski.

In some ways, that more-than-month-long pause between Mallorca and Los Cabos felt like an eternity for Daniil Medvedev.

But the interruption to his usual regimens/rhythms/routines, which included sitting out Wimbledon, doesn’t seem to have done him any harm, at least when it comes to the on-court results. Last week, the reigning World No. 1 departed Mexico with trophy in hand, his first of the year, and he returns to the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers as the defending champion, healthy and eager for a repeat performance.

Of course, this summer stretch is usually when the 26-year-old summons his best tennis. It was here in 2019, after all, that he introduced himself to the tennis world at large, embarking on a remarkable stretch that would see him reach consecutive finals in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows, St. Petersburg and Shanghai. If there’s a Medvedevian stretch on the ATP calendar, the North American hard-court swing is most definitely it.

“I’m in great confidence right now,” said Medvedev, who missed another chunk of time earlier this year after undergoing hernia surgery. “That’s why I went to Las Cabos, because I wanted to see where I was after the clay-court and the grass seasons, which are very different. It’s good to come back on hard courts to know what your position is compared to the best players. I feel very confident and I feel good for the next tournaments.”

In a season full of impressive victories, Taylor Fritz made another statement on Tuesday.

The American overpowered former World No. 1 Andy Murray 6-1, 6-3 to reach the second round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. Fritz will next play countryman Frances Tiafoe.

"It’s an honour to be on the court with Andy,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “Just to get the chance to play him, he’s been around, he’s been dominating since before I came on Tour and basically the whole time I’ve been on Tour, so it’s an honour just to play him.”

Throughout his illustrious career, Murray has found ways to turn matches around, especially against big hitters. His defense has stymied the best offensive players of his generation time and time again. But not Tuesday evening under the lights in Montreal.

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Fresh off a three-week training block and his first title of the season in Los Cabos, Daniil Medvedev is poised to carry his momentum to Montreal for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, where he is the defending champion.

“I made a great preparation block of three weeks and worked a lot physically, because we know that the end of the season is never easy and I want to be 100 percent ready. I managed to feel great in Los Cabos,” Medvedev said at the weekend.

“I’m in great confidence right now. I played good matches (in Mexico). I feel very confident and I feel good for the next tournaments.”

The North American hard-court season is where the World No. 1 has played his best tennis. He enters this week boasting an 11-3 record at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada, where he reached the final in 2019 (l. Nadal) and won the title last year in Toronto (d. Opelka).

In the coming weeks Medvedev will try to defend his title at the US Open, where he took out Djokovic in the championship match to capture his maiden Grand Slam. Before he gets to New York, he knows that two big tournaments are at stake and he expressed the importance of having a strong month in North America.

Nick Kyrgios set a popcorn second-round meeting with World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, downing Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4 to earn his seventh consecutive win.

The Australian captured his seventh ATP Tour title in Washington last week and immediately found his rhythm in Montreal, outmanoeuvring the Argentine as he combined heavy-hitting with deft touch to advance after one hour and 25 minutes.

“Physically I feel fine. Mentally just so tired. I haven’t had much sleep the past couple of days, but I am trying to put that behind me already,” Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. “I am in Montreal and I haven’t played great tennis in Montreal in the past, so I wanted to come out here today and get that match up against Medvedev next. It will be a lot of fun. I just want to create some good memories in Montreal.”

The 27-year-old, who is up to No. 33 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has now won 12 of his past 13 matches, having advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last month.

Kyrgios will look to continue that run when he faces reigning champion Medvedev in the second round. The 27-year-old leads the top seed 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, however, Medvedev won their most recent meeting at the Australian Open in January.

Matteo Berrettini made his National Bank Open Presented by Rogers debut on Tuesday, but Pablo Carreno Busta ensured it was a short one.

The Spaniard, who lost against Berrettini in straight sets in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, avenged that defeat with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the first round in Montreal.

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Berrettini is working his way back from March right hand surgery, which has limited him to just four tournaments since Indian Wells. Covid-19 also forced him to miss Wimbledon.

Carreno Busta took full advantage with a ruthless display of consistent aggression. The Spaniard prevented his opponent from finding a rhythm without risking too much himself. After securing a second service break in the second set, the 31-year-old let out a big roar knowing the finish line was in sight.

Tuseday's action has begun at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal, following a delay at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada due to rain.

Play began at 12:26 p.m. local time (EST) in Quebec, where 11th seed Matteo Berrettini is in action on Court Rogers against Pablo Carreno Busta. Wild card Vasek Pospisil is looking to channel the support of his home fans on Court Central, where the Canadian is taking on Tommy Paul. Before the weather intervened, both matches had been scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Rain also interrupted Monday's schedule in Montreal, where a packed Tuesday roster will see last week’s Washington champion Nick Kyrgios start his campaign against Sebastian Baez on Court Central. That match will be followed by 10th seed Taylor Fritz’s first ATP Head2Head meeting with former World No. 1 Andy Murray, while other seeded players in action include Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Gael Monfils.

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Even Matteo Berrettini is surprised that, some five years after making his ATP Tour debut, he had yet to play the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

“I’m really looking forward to playing my first match here,” said the 26-year-old Italian ahead of Tuesday’s opener against Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. “I always joke with my team that I never had the chance to play here.”

Be careful what you wish for. Beyond the 23rd-ranked Carreno Busta lies potential matchups with the likes of Dane Holger Rune and perhaps even countryman Jannik Sinner.

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“In a way, you should expect that in a 1000 like this all the matches are really tough,” said Berrettini, No. 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “The tricky part is going to be my first opponent. Pablo is a great player. It’s also a new tournament for me. Until you step on the court, you don’t really feel the atmosphere and everything. I’m curious about it.”

Daniel Evans and John Peers beat the rain on Monday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers to down Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 4-6, 6-3, 10-5.

The British-Australian team completed their comeback with a dominant performance in the Match Tie-break, capitalising on a 4/0 lead to close out the victory. After dropping serve three times in the opening set, the pair claimed the lone break of the second as they turned the match around.

Evans/Peers will next face fifth seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic or the French team of Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

In the only other doubles match to be completed on Monday, Poland's Hubert Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski scored an upset win against sixth seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus.

In a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory, the unseeded pairing dominated the opening set then recovered a mid-set break in the second before taking the final three points of the tie-break from 4/4. The Polish duo converted three of six break chances, including two as they opened up a 5-1 lead in the first set.

Karen Khachanov earned every bit of his 200th tour-level singles win on Monday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. After splitting two sets of razor-thin margins against Francisco Cerundolo, the 26-year-old powered through the decider in a 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-3 victory.

The World No. 28 improved to 200-154 with the result, hitting 22 winners and five aces in the two-hour, 43-minute contest. Khachanov was six of nine on break chances and claimed the only break of the final set in its fourth game. After moving ahead 3-1, he dropped just two points on serve the rest of the way, closing out the win with a love hold.

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A two-time semi-finalst at the ATP Masters 1000 event (2018-19), Khachanov earned his first ATP Tour win in St. Petersburg in 2013 and rose to a career-high of No. 8 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2019. He won three of his four tour-level titles in 2018, including his trophy triumph at the Rolex Paris Masters.

His best result of 2022 is a run to the Adelaide-1 final in January. Now at 26-18 on the season, he will next meet Marin Cilic or Borna Coric in the second round.

Nick Kyrgios made history at the Citi Open on Sunday by becoming the first man to sweep the singles and doubles titles in the 53-year history of the ATP 500 event. But the Aussie also made a bit of history with his flawless serving performance in the singles competition.

With 64 consecutive service holds, Kyrgios was never broken on his title run, saving all 10 break points against him. He hit 96 aces on the week, including a tournament-high 35 in the quarter-finals against Frances Tiafoe — a 6-7(5), 7-6(12), 6-2 victory in which Kyrgios saved five match points.

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The last time a player won an ATP Tour title without dropping serve was in June, when Taylor Fritz won Eastbourne with 51 straight holds. The last player to do so with at least 64 service holds was Kenneth Carlsen, who claimed the 2002 Tokyo title behind 70 consecutive service games won. Ivo Karlovic was the last man to win an ATP Tour title with at least 60 service holds and no breaks; he held 61 times in winning the 2013 Bogota crown.

For the 2022 season, Kyrgios leads the ATP Tour with a hold rate of 94.42 per cent, winning 423 of his 448 service games across 34 matches, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Only John Isner (91.52%), Reilly Opelka (90.83%) and Hubert Hurkacz (90.13%) join him above the 90 per cent threshold.

Emil Ruusuvuori backed up his third-round run in Washington with another impressive performance at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on Monday, moving past Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the second round in rainy Montreal.

The Finn defeated World No. 11 Hubert Hurkacz in Washington last week to earn the biggest win of his season and he played with confidence against Wawrinka, outmanoeuvring the Swiss star to advance after two hours and 12 minutes.

The 23-year-old recovered from squandering a break advantage in the second set as he raised his level in the decider, saving the one break point he faced in the third set to triumph in his first ATP Head2Head meeting against Wawrinka.

“I grew up watching Stan and have huge respect for this guy,” Ruusuvuori said in his on-court interview. “He is still such a tough competitor and he has inspired so many people, so I hope he can continue and bring this level. I really enjoyed this match and it was a dream come true.”

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Shang Juncheng and Zhang Zhizhen etched their names in the history books on Sunday when they became the first Chinese duo to win ATP Challenger Tour titles in the same week. Following the success of Wu Yibing, who’s won three Challenger titles this year including two weeks ago in Indianapolis, China now has three male players in the Top 250 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Shang, 17, triumphed on Sunday to become the youngest Chinese champion in Challenger Tour history. The teenager defeated Emilio Gomez, who was on a nine match winning streak, 6-4, 6-4 to capture the Lexington Challenger presented by Meridian Wealth Management title.

En route to the trophy, Shang took out the top seed and recent Nur-Sultan titlist, Roman Safiullin, recovering from a 0-6 first-set shutout to advance to the semi-finals, where he again rallied from a set down to defeat Aleksander Kovacevic. Two weeks ago the American had six championship points against Wu in the Indianapolis final but could not close out the match.

Coached by former World No. 1 and fellow lefty Marcelo Rios, who was in Lexington, Shang is the youngest player to win a Challenger title since Carlos Alcaraz at Alicante in 2020.

Shang Juncheng celebrates his Lexington Challenger title with coach Marcelo Rios.

Rain has halted the start of play at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on Monday.

The action was due to commence at 12:00 p.m. local time on all courts, but has yet to begin due to the weather in Montreal. Stan Wawrinka, Taylor Fritz and three-time champion Andy Murray are among the stars in action on Day 1 of the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event, where Daniil Medvedev is the reigning champion.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) has partnered with TennisViz to develop a series of next-generation data insights, set to enhance the tennis fan experience.

Following the successful launch of In Attack, Conversion and Steal insights earlier in the season, TDI and TennisViz have revealed their latest tranche of co-developed insights. These leverage TDI’s industry-leading match and tracking data and TennisViz’s next generation Artificial Intelligence, to provide fans with deeper understanding and richer narratives around the action on court.

Designed to present fans with the right data at the right time, insights will be fully integrated into the broadcast of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments and the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

What are INSIGHTS?

We’ve aggregated five key fundamentals of every player’s game:
- Type of shot played (more than 60 different shot types)
- Quality of shot (ranked on a 0-10 scale)
- The situation of player (serving, returning, both back, at the net)
- Phase of play (attack, neutral, defence)
- Tactics and patterns of play (7 tactics and 48 patterns of play)