Monday Digest: The Olympics Have Arrived

It has only been three years since the last Summer Olympics, but that does not mean the anticipation was not boiling over by the time play began in Paris on Saturday. 

All five Canadians have already competed in at least one match at the Olympics. And the draw is opening up nicely for one of the country’s biggest names. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

What to Watch: Once Every Four Years is Now 

The wait is over: the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have arrived. 

Play began on Saturday at Roland-Garros, although the Canadians all had to wait until Sunday to get their campaigns underway as the event got off to a rainy start. 

Leylah Annie Fernandez has already made history for Canada at the Olympics, becoming the first Canadian woman ever to reach the round of sixteen in singles. She battled past former Roland-Garros runner-up Karolina Muchova in the first round and then beat Cristina Busca in straight sets in round two. 

Next up for the Canadian is three-time major champion Angelique Kerber, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line. 

Félix Auger-Aliassime also got off to an impressive start in Paris, easily defeating Marcos Giron to win his first-ever match at the Olympics. The Canadian men’s No. 1 is expected to play Maximilian Marterer in the second round on Tuesday. 

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A win could see Auger-Aliassime renew his rivalry with Daniil Medvedev, who leads their head-to-head 7-0. However, it would be a first meeting on clay between the pair. 

Two Canadians have already seen their singles runs in Paris come to an end. 

Bianca Andreescu scored an impressive win in round one over Clara Tauson but was eliminated in round two by Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic. 

Milos Raonic competed in his first clay event in over four years but lost in a three-tiebreak affair to Dominik Koepfer. 

Two of the Canadian doubles teams both played their first-round matches on Monday. The women’s pair of Gabriela Dabrowski and Fernandez advanced in straight sets past Clara Burel and Varvara Gracheva of France, but the men’s team of Auger-Aliassime and Raonic were defeated by third seeds Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul of the United States.

Auger-Aliassime and Dabrowski are representing Canada in the mixed doubles. 

Under the Radar: Diallo’s First Win of 2024 

Gabriel Diallo was a big winner on the ATP Challenger Tour last week, picking up his first title of the season in Chicago. 

The 6’8 Montrealer cruised through the draw in the midwest, not only not dropping a set on his way to the title, but he did not even have his serve broken in five matches. He defeated Yunchaokete Bu in straight sets in the final. 

It is the third ATP Challenger Tour title of Diallo’s career. He has won one per year each of the last three years.

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Cleeve Harper joined Diallo in the winner’s circle last week in Illinois, winning an ITF title two hours down the I-57 in Champaign, IL. Harper’s first title of 2024 came alongside American Tyler Zink. 

It was the second ITF title for the pair, having previously won in Pittsburgh back in 2022, and at the M25 level, it is the biggest title of Harper’s career so far. 

In Case You Missed It: Quick One for Shapo 

With the Olympics getting underway on the weekend, it sucked up much of the attention from events taking place on the ATP and WTA Tours. 

From a Canadian perspective, it was a quiet week with just Denis Shapovalov competing at the 250 event in Atlanta. He lost his first-round match to David Goffin in three sets. 

You can follow the Canadians in action every week here.