ATP Canadian Open in Toronto Presents Huge Opportunities

By Joey Tennis Balls · match preview

Written July 28, 2025, about the events of that week. For today's numbers see the live Elo & Glicko rankings or who is moving now.

• Expanded Field, Tight Schedule: For the first time, the tournament will be expanded to a 12-day, 96-player format. The final will take place on Thursday, August 7, as the ATP squeezes two 1000 events into a 3-week period, with ATP Cincinnati kicking off on that same Thursday.

• Top Seeds Out: With four of the world's top players-Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jack Draper-absent, the ATP Toronto tournament is more open than a usual Masters 1000 event. Their withdrawals leave room for a breakthrough champion.
  

  Canada’s Best Shot in Decades
  

  Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov lead the home contingent. Auger-Aliassime opened the season strong with two titles and recently helped Canada secure its first Hopman Cup. Shapovalov, also now a two-time titlist in 2025, comes in after winning Los Cabos without dropping a set. Former finalist Milos Raonic returns to the draw, though questions remain around his physical readiness. #36 Gabriel Diallo only recently joined the top 50 in the world. He could face #2 seed Taylor Fritz in round 3.
  

  After starting the year ranked No. 247, 23-year-old Ontarian Liam Draxl climbed to No. 111 thanks to his Winnipeg title and Granby runner-up finish this month. Granted a main draw wildcard, he’ll face 2022 champion Pablo Carreno Busta in round one. A strong performance could put him into the top 100.
  

  Canada hasn’t claimed this title since 1958.

A Reshuffled Contender Landscape

The absence of four of the top six ranked players reshapes the draw. Early-round matchups could pit rising players against established names over nearly two weeks. Alexei Popyrin won it last year in Montreal on the strength of his hard-court game and his play in the late rounds. That title was a breakthrough, but he now risks a big drop in ranking without a solid showing here. The top contenders include Alexander Zverev (+650), Taylor Fritz (+650), Alex De Minaur (+900) and Ben Shelton (+900), but with so many top players out, the rest of the field has a real chance at this Masters 1000 title.