It’s a sight we’ve become accustomed to at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank over the years. In truth, it’s a sight we’ve become used to in general. Novak Djokovic lifting yet another trophy – this time his eighth Australian Open title – was special to watch early Sunday morning.
A four-time winner of our tournament in Canada, the 32-year-old Serbian ticked off his 17th Grand Slam title in Melbourne with a thrilling five-set victory over Dominic Thiem. That means he’s just two behind Rafael Nadal and three behind all-time leader in this category Roger Federer.
I did pick Djokovic as my Aussie Open champion when asked on Breakfast TV last week, just after he’d beaten Canadian Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals.
It was fun to be back on the show with Roger – Peterson, not Federer – to discuss the start of the new season as well as Rogers Cup. It may seem premature to begin talking about a tournament that’s not happening until August but you wouldn’t believe the amount of planning that goes into ensuring our world-class event is, well… world class.
Tickets went on general sale a week ago and we’ve already seen an incredible uptake as fans lineup online to secure their seat to watch Djokovic, Raonic and Canadian young guns Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime at Sobeys Stadium this summer.
We’re working on some very exciting projects for this year’s event, including some major upgrades to our site. I won’t give away too much but it’s fair to say it will look quite different this year. I’m sure you’ll all be impressed with the changes.
One thing I was asked about on Breakfast TV was the Olympics. I think it’s a positive that it’s just before Rogers Cup this year. I think we have a great chance in the men’s, women’s and doubles events. How incredible is the prospect of having some Canadian medalists in town? What a heroes’ welcome that would be!
Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish Canada’s Fed Cup team all the very best this weekend as they take on Switzerland with a place in the Finals on the line. I know Heidi and the team have what it takes to get over the line.
Until next time!
Karl
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