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Fresh off his first title of the season in Los Cabos, Stefanos Tsitsipas arrives at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers with a familiar voice in his corner. Former World No. 8 Mark Philippoussis is taking the lead on coaching the Greek, while the 24-year-old’s father, Apostolos, is taking a break.

“My father right now, I gave him some time off. He hasn't had time off since I'm 12 years old,” said Stefanos in his pre-tournament press conference. “I think for him, it's very healthy to take some time away from the court and feel refreshed again.

“Parents can get emotional sometimes, and I completely understand that. I'm not a parent myself, but I can imagine how difficult it can be at times seeing your child give it their all and to be going through so much during a match.

“I love him and I want him to be part of that journey that we have built together, and he's not going anywhere. He's still with us, and he's still there following our path and journey.”

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Matteo Berrettini earned another confidence-boosting win on Monday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, where he defeated Gregoire Barrere 6-4, 6-3.

The Italian entered Wimbledon having earned just seven tour-level victories all year, but looked close to his best to reach the fourth round in London. Three weeks on and Berrettini quickly looked in control on the Canadian hard courts, striking the ball with explosive power to fire past the Frenchman Barrere in 76 minutes.

Berrettini has won seven tour-level titles in his career but has yet to triumph on hard courts. The 27-year-old, who is making his debut in Toronto, will next play countryman Jannik Sinner in the second round as he aims to change that record.

Another Italian, Lorenzo Musetti, also advanced on Day 1 at the ATP Masters 1000. The 21-year-old produced a clean-hitting display against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, sealing a 6-4, 6-1 victory after 75 minutes.

Despite rain disrupting the first set, Musetti maintained his concentration, committing just three unforced errors to reach the second round. The 16th seed will next meet Zhang Zhizhen or Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Luca Nardi’s first ATP Challenger Tour title of the season could not have come at a better time.

The Italian #NextGenATP star triumphed at the Porto Open in Portugal on Sunday, when he was celebrating his 20th birthday. The fourth seed Nardi rallied past home favourite Joao Sousa 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the final to earn his fourth Challenger trophy.

“I will remember this day, my 20th birthday, my most important title,” Nardi told Sport TV. “For sure it will be special for a long time. It wasn't easy because I knew it would be a very tough crowd today, all for him. I knew that, I respect that. He played good, he had a very solid week and today I think I was very focussed, didn't want to give up.

“The first two matches I didn't play good, but then I played better match by match and I hope I can keep this confidence for the rest of the season.”

Nardi, who is 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race, is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals, which showcases the season’s best 21-and-under players.

One of the biggest storylines of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers is the return to Toronto of home favourite Milos Raonic. Fans idolise the former World No. 3, who has inspired the current generation of Canadians — including Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov — and stars of the future.

So it was fitting that the 32-year-old began his Media Day on Sunday by sitting on the podium in front of a group of kids participating in the Rogers First Set programme, which is designed to introduce Canadian youth to the sport. Who better to put questions to than the player who raised the profile of men’s tennis in Canada more than anyone else of his generation?

After missing nearly two years due to injury, Raonic sat with a big smile on his face. He first returned in June in ’s-Hertogenbosch and also competed in Wimbledon. But now the eight-time ATP Tour titlist is back in action on home soil, where he has made his biggest impact. As journalists filed into the room for the press conference, one reporter asked Raonic if during his absence he feared what his identity might be beyond tennis.

“I think the biggest thing was will I end up finding something I enjoy as much and have the same kind of passion and obsession with as I do with tennis,” Raonic said. “Having a good year plus of no tennis whatsoever, because I didn't pick up a racquet for about 14, 15 months, I was able to calm those fears.

“And then I was able to kind of look at it and try to point out by when I could get ready to try to give it a bit more time and get ready to play at a higher level. And that's kind of a process and then came back about a month and a half ago, two months ago and been enjoying it.”

Fans will need to wait a little bit longer for the start of main draw action at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. Monday play is being delayed by rain in Toronto.

As it stands, play is to begin not before 11:30 a.m. No matches are underway.

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When the weather allows, 13 singles matches and four doubles matches are on the order of play. Three Canadians headline the day's slate on centre court. Alexis Galarneau, who last month won an ATP Challenger Tour event in Granby, opens the tournament against Francisco Cerundolo. In the evening session former World No. 3 Milos Raonic faces ninth seed Frances Tiafoe and Vasek Pospisil takes on qualifier Matteo Arnaldi.

Among the other stars in action will be 15th seed Hubert Hurkacz and 16th seed Lorenzo Musetti. In a battle of fans' favourites, Gael Monfils will play Christopher Eubanks. Twelfth seed Tommy Paul will try to oust qualifier and former Top 10 star Diego Schwartzman. 

The road to World No. 1 is rarely straight forward. But some journeys have more twists and turns than others, especially those involving a slide from the mountain top before a character-building return to the summit.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this month, leading tennis writer and historian Joel Drucker reflects on five remarkable runs to the top.

Andre Agassi at the 1999 US Open. Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Allsport

Agassi Goes From Agony To Ecstasy

Andre Agassi had long been tennis’ biggest box office attraction. Yet in November 1997, he was competing at an ATP Challenger Tour event in his hometown of Las Vegas. World No. 1 just over two years prior, Agassi at this point was No. 141.

Agassi’s morale had been sapped by his loss to Pete Sampras in the 1995 US Open. Over the next two years, Agassi scarcely devoted himself to tennis. In 1997, he skipped the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon.

Daniel Evans, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sebastian Baez captured trophies in Washington, Los Cabos and Kitzbühel respectively, in a three-tournament week on the ATP Tour.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week as of Monday, 7th August 2023.

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No. 21 Daniel Evans, +9 (Career High)
The Briton has risen to a career-high No. 21 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after he won the biggest title of his career at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, an ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C. The 33-year-old arrived at the tournament having not earned a tour-level win since April, but produced flawless tennis, dropping just one set across five matches as he defeated seeds Frances Tiafoe, Grigor Dimitrov and Tallon Griekspoor, who upset Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals.

No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, +1
The 24-year-old captured his first title of the season at the Mifel Tennis Open By Telcel Oppo, where he defeated Australian Alex de Minaur in the final. The Greek, who is up one spot to No. 4, has now earned 10 tour-level crowns.

Fans who visited the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers Sunday received a special treat when they were able to watch not just tennis, but stars from the ATP and NHL on the same court together.

The athletes gathered on Court 1 for the tournament’s annual ball hockey game, pitting ATP players against ice hockey stars. Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz Sebastian Korda, Emil Ruusuvuori, Alexis Galarneau, Harri Heliovaara and Jan Zielinski lost 4-1 to the professional hockey players.

“It was fun again. I had to do it. I was in Montreal [last year and played in the game]. I think next year we need to mix the teams. It’s too unfair!” Ruusuvuori said. “It was great. It feels like the people also enjoyed it and us, too. They were great guys. We just had fun, it was good. “

Photo Credit: Peter Powers/National Bank Open
The NHL players who participated were Nazem Kadri, Ryan McLeod, Anthony Cirelli, Quinton Byfield and Hockey Hall of Fame Doug Gilmour.

Byfield, a centre for the Los Angeles Kings who was the second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, enjoyed spending time with tennis players.

Daniil Medvedev has won 18 of his 20 tour-level titles on hard courts, so it is safe to say the World No. 3 is happy to be starting his hard-court swing this week at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

“I love to play all these tournaments, I played them very well many times. But it's a small pressure because I know that I want to do well here,” Medvedev said in his pre-tournament press conference. “So it's a little bit of pressure where I'll have to cope with it and to try to go through it. I feel like I have done it many times in my career, but it's going to be here again and again. So I have to deal with it.”

Medvedev has enjoyed plenty of success in Canada. The last time the men's event was held in Toronto, Medvedev won, and in 2019 he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Montreal. On his Toronto debut in 2018, he made the third round as a qualifier.

“It feels amazing. I love this tournament. I remember actually playing well, even [five] years ago, I lost to Zverev, but I passed qualies, beat Felix. It was a crazy match, so very good memories so far from Toronto,” Medvedev said. “It's actually the first time I'm staying in the city. The two times I've been here I was staying uptown. And actually I played in Toronto, I won in Toronto, but I didn't know how Toronto is as a city.

“So now I get to know it. I like it. [I am] enjoying my time here and of course getting ready for for the first match.”

Daniel Evans won his second ATP Tour title on Sunday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open with a rain-interrupted victory against Tallon Griekspoor. The British 12th seed won his first ATP 500 crown — the biggest triumph of his career — with a 7-5, 6-3 result, fuelled by late surges in each set.

Now 2-2 in tour-level finals, the 33-year-old's Washington run lifted him nine places to No. 21 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, setting him up for a new career high. The first British man to contest the D.C. final since Andy Murray in 2006, Evans' victory made him the first Briton to win the title since Tim Henman in 2003.

Evans entered the event on a six-match losing streak at tour-level, but he won 10 straight sets on the American hard courts after losing the opener against Gregoire Barrere in the first round. He also knocked out second seed Frances Tiafoe and fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov on the way to the title.

"I wasn't playing very well and I wasn't happy with my game. To do the work I've done and to stick with it and come through is [amazing]," said Evans. "The last game sort of summed up my week. I got out of trouble and it was an amazing week. I really appreciate all the support."

In the final, Evans took his fourth break point of the opening set to win it 7-5, but his momentum was halted at 2-2 in the second set when rain and lightning suspended play for more than 90 minutes.

Two weeks after he played in his first ATP Tour final in Newport, 18-year-old Alex Michelsen has announced that he will turn pro and forgo his college eligibility. The #NextGenATP American, who currently stands at a career-high No. 134 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, was committed to play college tennis at the University of Georgia.

"This was not an easy decision to make, especially because of the incredible opportunity that awaited me at the University of Georgia," Michelsen wrote Sunday in an Instagram post. He went on to thank the UGA coaches as well as his many personal coaches over the years, adding that he is looking forward to his new journey on the ATP Tour.

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Long-time Georgia head coach Manuel Diaz also released a statement in support of Michelsen's decision: "He has put himself in a phenomenal position, especially over the last few months," Diaz said. "This is simply too great of an opportunity for Alex to pass up, and we will continue to cheer him on as he takes these next steps in his career."

After beginning the 2023 season outside the Top 500, Michelsen's success this season on the ATP Challenger Tour culminated in a title last month in Chicago. He backed that up the following week by reaching his first tour-level final in Newport, where he beat former Georgia star John Isner in the semis.

Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni won their third Match Tie-break this week at the Mubadala Citi DC Open to clinch the doubles title on Sunday at the ATP 500 event.

The unseeded champions earned a 6-7(4), 6-2, 10-6 win against Americans Mackenzie McDonald and Ben Shelton to improve to 4-0 this season in ATP Tour finals. Their four tour-level title draws them level with Roland Garros champs Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek for most doubles crowns this season. The triumph also lifted them two places into the all-important eighth spot in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Team Rankings, giving them an inside track to qualify for what would be their Nitto ATP Finals debut this November.

"We are working hard here. We know each other. I think this is important when you play doubles," Gonzalez said post-match. "We have confidence, we trust in us. I hope to keep it the same way."

Already titlists in Cordoba, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona this season, Gonzalez/Molteni claimed D.C. glory with a string of clutch performances in the American capital. They won four tie-breaks on the week in addition to their three Match Tie-breaks, and they saved both break points against them in the final.

First all-Argentine champions in tournament history ???

Maximo Gonzalez & Andres Molteni | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/19g2luMQ4B

One of the perks of competing on the ATP Tour is that players are able to visit iconic places around the world. That was especially true at this week’s Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Several stars were given the opportunity to take a tour of The White House, home of the President of the United States. Many of them had only seen the landmark in the news or in television and movies.

Among the players who made the trip were Gregoire Barrere, Liam Broady, Maximo Gonzalez, Adrian Mannarino, Fabrice Martin, Andres Molteni and Hugo Nys.

Barrere even made a joke on social media when he wrote in French that Mannarino, the recent Newport champion, held a press conference in The White House Briefing Room demanding a year only played on grass.

Conf de press de @AdrianMannarino après le titre à Newport demandant une année que sur gazon ! pic.twitter.com/DDrqyFPFp1

The best players in the world are set for the sixth ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and defending Toronto champion Daniil Medvedev lead the way at the hard-court event. ATPTour.com looks at 10 storylines to watch over the coming week.

1) Alcaraz’s Toronto Debut: Fresh off his memorable triumph at Wimbledon, Alcaraz will make his Toronto debut. One year ago the Spaniard competed for the first time in Canada, losing his opening match in Montreal to Tommy Paul. Alcaraz will have an opportunity to get off to a better start this edition against Ben Shelton or Bernabe Zapata Miralles. The 20-year-old will pursue his third Masters 1000 title of the season (Indian Wells and Madrid) and his seventh overall trophy of the year.

2) Medvedev Defending Toronto Champ: The last time this tournament was played in Toronto, Medvedev departed with the trophy. Medvedev completed his run in 2021 by losing just 11 combined games in the semi-final and final. The second seed will try to earn Canadian glory once again this year, when he starts against home favourite Vasek Pospisil or a qualifier.

3) Felix Leads Canadian Charge: The top-ranked Canadian, Felix Auger-Aliassime, leads the home hopes in Toronto as the 10th seed. A player who first competed in Toronto qualifying in 2016 just shy of his 16th birthday, Auger-Aliassime will try to claim his first Masters 1000 title this week on home soil. The 22-year-old, who has struggled in recent months with a knee injury, will face a qualifier in the first round and could play former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the second round.

Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin dug deep in sweltering Los Cabos on Saturday to claim the title at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo.

The top seeds at the hard-court ATP 250 downed Andrew Harris and Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 7-5 to claim their third tour-level crown of 2023. Gonzalez and Roger-Vasselin failed to serve out the match at 6-4, 5-4 but they responded to dropping serve with an immediate break to love before completing an 84-minute championship-match triumph.

“[The key was] surviving. It was probably one of the toughest weeks for us, to play every day in this weather where it is so humid, so hot,” said home favourite Gonzalez. “Especially today. We played [our previous matches] in the late evening, at nine or 10 p.m, and today was at 5:30 p.m., so it was obviously tough for everyone. [We fought] all the way through the match, so we are very happy to win the title here.”

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The 40-year-old Gonzalez is the third Mexican player to win the doubles title in Los Cabos, after Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela in 2018 and Hans Hach Verdugo in 2021.

Stefanos Tsitsipas held off a spirited Alex de Minaur comeback to belatedly clinch his first title of the season at the ATP 250 in Los Cabos on Saturday night. The Greek earned his 10th career crown and extended his perfect Lexus ATP Head2Head against Alex de Minaur to 10-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 win on the Mexican Pacific coast.

The top-seeded Tsitsipas converted four of nine break points he earned to wrap an 86-minute triumph against De Minaur. He held three points for a double-break lead in the second set at 6-3, 3-2, 0/40 before the fifth-seeded Australian roared back into the match, but Tsitsipas notched another crucial break for 5-4 en route to securing his 39th win of the 2023 season.

“I feel like both of us wanted to go out on the court today and show a great final,” said Tsitsipas in his on-court interview. “I feel like it was a great match. Alex showed great tennis, I tried to keep up with the level as much as I could. I’m really happy we were able to deliver a great final today. I think that is the thing that stands out the most. It was a great match and the crowd, as always, was fully present and engaged.”

Stef, hermano, ya eres mexicano! ??

The moment @steftsitsipas became the champion in Mexico!@CaboTennisOpen | #ATC2023 pic.twitter.com/A7A9RJM2UD

Competing at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo for the first time this week, Tsitsipas survived a three-set thriller against Nicolas Jarry in the quarter-finals but dropped no more than seven games in his other three victories over John Isner, Borna Coric and De Minaur on the way to his first outdoor hard-court title. It was the 24-year-old’s first hard-court crown since he won Marseille indoors almost three years ago.

Hard-hitting Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor rallied from a set down to upset top seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Saturday night to claim his first Top 10 win and reach the final of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.

Griekspoor, who is chasing his third title of the season, has surged to a career-high 25 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and plays Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov or Great Britain's Daniel Evans for the title on Sunday.

The 27-year-old, who is making his debut in the American capital, claimed one break in the second set and two breaks in the third against Fritz, who had won 80 of 82 service games coming into the match.

"The first Top 10 win was something I was really looking for. To beat Taylor playing at home is pretty special," Griekspoor said. "It's a pretty nice start to the American swing and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

"My serve is going really well this week; it's getting some pace, whether it's during the day or during the night. I'm moving great and the body is great, so there's not much to complain about.”

Carlos Alcaraz says he is a “normal guy”, just like the millions of fans across the world who watch him compete. Unlike almost everyone on the planet, he can call himself a Wimbledon champion.

“I have the trophy in my living room over there [so] that every time that I have lunch, have dinner with my family, I see the trophy,” Alcaraz said in a press conference on Saturday ahead of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. “It's something that I [don’t want] to forget.”

Alcaraz’s thrilling five-set victory over Novak Djokovic in the championship match of the grass-court major is a match that will be remembered for years to come. Nearly one month later, the magnitude of his win has still not completely set in.

“I had just a week to think about it. I had not too much time. And I think I needed a little bit more because it's something that is crazy to realise,” Alcaraz said. “Honestly, for me, winning Wimbledon at 20 years old is something that I dreamed about when I started playing tennis. It was my fourth tournament on grass, so it was totally unexpected.

“So for me, it's a great achievement and it's something that I have to take some time to think about.”

Fans were in for a treat Saturday in Toronto, where Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev shared a practice session ahead of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

Alcaraz arrives in Toronto fresh off his memorable victory at Wimbledon, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in a scintillating final. The Spaniard is 47-4 in 2023 with six titles.

The 20-year-old is the top seed at the season's sixth ATP Masters 1000 event. He will play #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton or Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round.

Medvedev is the defending champion in Toronto, where he lifted the trophy in 2021. He is the second seed and will open against home favourite Vasek Pospisil or a qualifier.

The 27-year-old has claimed five titles this season, including Masters 1000 triumphs in Miami and Rome.

Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler gave a masterclass in handling home pressure Saturday at the Generali Open.

The Austrian pair prevailed 6-4, 6-4 against Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov to complete a perfect week at the ATP 250 in Kitzbühel. Erler and Miedler did not drop a set all week en route to their fifth ATP Tour title together, which is their third of 2023 after they triumphed in Acapulco and Munich earlier this year.

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A single break of serve in each set was enough for the top seeds to secure an 81-minute championship-match win. Escobar and Nedovyesov saved 10 of the 12 break points they faced, but were unable to deny Erler and Miedler from backing up their 2021 Kitzbühel triumph with another title in the Austrian Alps.

The victory boosts Erler and Miedler’s hopes of qualifying for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The pair, which is 28-18 for the season, remains 15th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings after its title run, but is now just 10 points behind 14th-placed Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.