There have been many epic matches over the years in Toronto, a lot of them between players who will be competing again in 2023.
Here’s hoping for a repeat of some of these great clashes. These are five of the best matches in Toronto between players who will be in the draw at Sobeys Stadium next week.
2021 Quarter-Finals: Daniil Medvedev d. Hubert Hurkacz 2-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(5)
Daniil Medvedev mostly cruised to the title the last time the men played in Toronto, but the major exception was his quarter-final clash with Hubert Hurkacz.
Both played at an incredibly high level for over two hours, exchanging baseline blows and pulling out all the stops, including one point where both men resorted to the tweener.
The powerful Pole blew the top seed away in the opening set and had his chances to cause an upset, but it was Medvedev playing the more clutch tennis in the second and third set tiebreaks, hanging on to win what was easily the best match of the tournament.
Read also: Meet the ATP Top 10 ahead of the 2023 National Bank Open
2021 Round Two: Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-7(13), 6-1
Without any members of the Big Three in the draw, Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the favourites in Toronto in 2021, having reached the final in his previous appearance.
His campaign had a hard time getting off the ground as he was given all he could handle in his opening match against Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
The highlight was a tense 28-point second-set tiebreak where Humbert saved five match points to force the Greek to a deciding set. But Tsitsipas was not discouraged after letting his opponent of the hook and rolled him in the deciding set.
Read also: Meet the Dark Horses in the Men's Draw
2018 Quarter-Finals: Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Alexander Zverev 3-6, 7-6(11), 6-4
Tsitsipas is no stranger to epics in Toronto, nor to wild tiebreaks. During his dramatic run to the 2018 Toronto final, he won three consecutive three-setters against Top 10 opponents.
Of those three wins, his highest-ranked victim was No. 2 seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
Zverev won the first set in a hurry and then had a chance to close out the match when he had match point on his own serve at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreak.
But a huge backhand from Tsitsipas near the end of a 20-shot rally kept the Greek alive. Zverev then dumped a return into the net on his second match point. Tsitsipas went on to take the epic breaker 13-11 and ultimately completed the upset.
Frances Tiafoe d. Milos Raonic 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1 – 2018 Round Two
When Milos Raonic takes to the court at the 2023 National Bank Open, it will be the Canadian’s first appearance at his home tournament since falling to Tiafoe in the second round in 2018.
Read also: Milos Raonic - Canada’s Tennis Trailblazer
Raonic was favoured on his home court against the young American, but Tiafoe was able to match the Canadian’s power and swiped the opening set in a tiebreak.
Raonic responded by taking the second set, but Tiafoe immediately reclaimed the upper hand. The youngster managed to break the Canadian’s mighty serve twice in the deciding set as he shocked the home crowd by sending their favourite packing.
Daniil Medvedev d. Felix Auger-Aliassime 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) - 2018 Round Two
Fans in Toronto were given a glimpse into the future in the second round of the 2018 event, though they probably did not grasp the significance of a match between an 18-year-old wild card and a qualifier.
Read also: Meet the Canadian Men Competing in Toronto
Felix Auger-Aliassime was a rising Canadian star but was competing in the Toronto main draw for the first time. His opponent, Daniil Medvedev, was still a relative unknown.
The pair put on a show under the lights, duking it out for three sets. Auger-Aliassime fired everything he had at Medvedev, but the future major champion threw it all back
In the end, the Canadian had his chances to score a win in the first meeting between the two when he led the third-set tiebreak 4-1 and 5-4 but Medvedev found a way to sneak out a victory. It was one of the closest of their six meetings on tour to date, all won by Medvedev.
The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open August 5 to 13 at Sobeys Stadium. Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!
