Even in Defeat, Draxl Makes Dream a Reality in… National Bank Open

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Growing up in nearby Newmarket, Liam Draxl would attend the National Bank Open presented by Rogers every year with his friends.

They would compete against each other to see who had the fastest serve. They would run from court to court to see who could collect the most towels and wristbands from players after their matches. But, in the back of his mind, Draxl always harbored dreams of one day competing at the same event where he had once watched his idol, Rafael Nadal, play at his peak.

“It sounds kind of cliché — I feel like a lot of players say it — but this was a dream for me, going to see all the big players here,” Draxl told reporters after his first ATP Tour main draw-level match in Toronto. “I loved tennis so much when I was young. It was like, ‘Wow, this would be amazing if I could play [here].’ I just have such a level of gratitude and just a level of content. I'm just so grateful to be out there. I’m just a kid from Newmarket.”

Draxl’s dreams came true on Monday night — albeit with a bittersweet ending. In front of a rowdy home crowd at Sobeys Stadium, the 23-year-old threw everything but the kitchen sink at former champion Pablo Carreño Busta, who has been working his way back to the top of the sport after recovering from elbow tendinitis last year.

In the end, Carreño Busta’s experience proved to be the decisive factor. The Spaniard rallied from a set down to earn a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win in two hours and 21 minutes, silencing the Canadian crowd in the process.

During his post-match press conference, Draxl was understandably disappointed with the final result, but he was still able to see the bigger picture. About an hour after he got off the court, the young Canadian — who leads the ATP Challenger Tour in total wins this year — was still trying to find a way to describe the surreal feeling of having thousands of people chanting his name for the first time.

“I'm playing out there and people are cheering me on. And it's a weird feeling, like they're screaming and I know who that is, like I know their voice [personally],” Draxl said with a smile, singling out his childhood best friends, Adam and Jack, who kept him fired up deep into the final set. “It was just super special because I feel like I literally know like 75 percent of the people in the crowd that are all from Newmarket. It's amazing.”

“It's just a bummer that I couldn't keep up the level,” he later added. “I usually play on the Challenger Tour, usually playing guys inside [the top] 300. Everyone's such a good player, so that's why you have to take these risks on the pro tour. You have to go for big serves and big shots. I mean, Pablo's not going to miss a ball, you got to take it to him and beat him — all these guys. It's just a requirement. You have to go for big shots.”

Playing in his first ATP-level main draw match, Draxl got off to a quick start, overwhelming Carreño Busta with a barrage of heavy forehands to jump out to an early break. “Obviously, I came out playing really well,” the Canadian said. “You can always look at it like on both sides of the court — he missed a few balls in his opening service game, and then I was just serving great.”

After dropping the opening set, Carreño Busta gradually began to work his way into the match. Countering Draxl’s big serves and heavy forehands with his own loopy groundstrokes, the Spaniard was able to clinch a decisive break midway through the second set en route to forcing a decider. In a titanic third set, Carreño Busta and Draxl exchanged breaks, but three costly double faults in the seventh game from Draxl, who was struggling with some muscle tightness in his right shoulder, made all the difference.

Draxl, who will play doubles later this week, said he will ultimately see this match as hopefully the first of many valuable learning experiences in his young career.

“What I'll take away [from this match] is just playing in an amazing atmosphere on a big court,” he said. “And especially playing at home, the emotions and the pressure are higher than any other tournament for me. So I'll definitely take just that whole experience and just soak it in, and hopefully use it for future big matches.”

The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Tyler Anderson