MONTREAL, July 31, 2018 (Press Release)

On Monday, Tennis Canada announced the names of the seeds for the 2018 edition of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal and Toronto. The ATP and WTA World No.1s will come first in their respective draws, as Rafael Nadal headlines in Toronto and Simona Halep leads the field in Montréal. The seedings will follow the official ATP World Tour and WTA rankings released today (Monday, July 30) with the Top 16-ranked players entered in each tournament being seeded. The Top 8 seeds will receive a first-round bye.

“We have an outstanding field in Toronto this year with 19 of the Top 20 ATP players in the world and we can’t wait to welcome them back to our city,” said Karl Hale, Rogers Cup Toronto tournament director. “Men’s tennis has never been more competitive and with Andy Murray a wild card and Novak Djokovic as No.9 seed, we will have exciting match-ups right from round one this year. We can’t wait to see who will bring their best form to Toronto and be crowned our 2018 Rogers Cup champion.”
 
The winner of the 2005, 2008 and 2013 Rogers Cup events, Nadal will be out to claim a fourth title. In 2017, he was caught off guard in the third round by Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who will try to recreate last season’s magic. Alexander Zverev is seeded second and hopes to defend his hard-earned title from Montréal. The ninth seed, Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, is also one to keep a close eye on.

“I have happy memories from my time on court and outside the court in Toronto and it’s always a highlight on my calendar,” said Djokovic. “The tournament looks after us so well and the fans are always passionate about their tennis. After a dream run at Wimbledon, I’m really motivated going into the hard-court season so I look forward to enjoying my time there.”

In Montréal, Simona Halep will be on the hunt for her second Canadian title, after bringing home the trophy in 2016. She faces dangerous rivals including 2010 champion Caroline Wozniacki (2). Halep and Wozniacki, who won their first Grand Slam titles this season, will battle the likes of Wimbledon finalists Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams. Williams will be setting her sights on winning her first crown since returning to the game after the birth of her daughter.

“We’re gearing up for another phenomenal week,” said Eugène Lapierre, tournament director of Rogers Cup in Montréal. “We’re ready for another dream tournament after last year’s exceptional edition and are eagerly awaiting the best players on the women’s circuit on the courts at IGA Stadium. Superstars like Simona Halep, local favourites like Eugenie Bouchard, remarkable returning champions like Serena Williams and emerging talents like Daria Kasatkina are sure to impress. The final preparations are underway to provide players and fans with a memorable experience.” 

In Toronto, 16 of the top 17 players make up the 16 seeds. In Montréal, the Top 16 are all on hand.
The official draws of both tournaments to determine the roadmap of potential matches for the week ahead will be held on Friday, August 3.

Complete list of seedings

ROGERS CUP PRESENTED BY NATIONAL BANK TORONTO