Biggest Questions Top Men's Tennis Players Face at 2015 Rogers Cup
The road to the U.S. Open is heating up, and the top men will soon embark for scenic Montreal to kick off the 2015 Rogers Cup.
Basking in his Wimbledon honeymoon, Novak Djokovic will lead a loaded field of contenders eager to knock the world No. 1 from his perch. Easier said than done.
Because Roger Federer opted to skip the event, his absence allows fellow rivals Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal a golden opportunity to make up ground in the rankings and earn some much needed confidence.
Other young stars such as Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov are desperately fighting for relevancy and progress, turning Montreal into a key testing ground for these challengers.
And we can't forget about last year's champion, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who will have a massive target on his back.
With only a few days left until the start of the tournament, here is a deeper look at these players and the questions facing them in Montreal. How they respond could soon shape their fate at the season's final Grand Slam.
Grigor Dimitrov: When Will He Snap out of His Slump?
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Grigor Dimitrov is mired in a serious case of the blues.
A year after his breakthrough season, the Bulgarian has come crashing down to Earth. At this point in 2014, Dimitrov had already won three titles (on three surfaces) and made his first semifinal at a Grand Slam. But that momentum has completely evaporated.
He's just 22-13 in 2015 with no finals appearances under his belt. Off the clay, his best result is a semifinal run in Brisbane, where he was shellacked by Roger Federer. It's been all downhill from there.
After a first-round loss at the French Open and an equally disconcerting third-round exit from Wimbledon, Dimitrov decided to shake things up—professionally and personally. He parted ways with coach Roger Rasheed and even broke things off with his longtime girlfriend Maria Sharapova.
Eager to solve his problems, Dimitrov is clearly turning over every stone. But will his refocused attention pay off this summer?
Plunging in the rankings, Dimitrov recently sought advice from Ivan Lendl, though they couldn't come to a coaching agreement. Instead, he hired Johan Ortegren to help guide him out of the abyss.
Ortegren has an immensely talented player to mold. The question remains whether Dimitrov can spark a flame within himself and rekindle the magic he produced last year. If he can't, he'll risk becoming another flash in the pan.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Will He Be Able to Defend His Title?
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Few people (if any) predicted Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would win the 2014 Rogers Cup. But he caught fire, dispatching Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov on his way to the final, where he shocked Roger Federer in straight sets for the championship
Can he catch lightning in a bottle twice?
The Frenchman likely won't be able to replicate that absurd run. Then again, he certainly proved the naysayers wrong last year. The key will be his health.
An arm injury forced Tsonga to sit out the first few months of this season, and things didn't click right away for him upon returning. Not until his semifinal berth at Roland Garros did flashes of the Tsonga who rocked Toronto last summer resurface.
However, he hurt his abdominal area prior to Wimbledon. Though he stayed in the tournament, that injury diminished his ability, and he fell to the booming serves of Ivo Karlovic in the third round.
When his game is synched up, Tsonga is a fearsome opponent for anyone to face. He's a superb athlete and baseline bully. The 30-year-old will need to draw upon those assets as other players gun for his crown.
Milos Raonic: Can He Finally Win a Masters Series Title?
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Milos Raonic has been on the precipice so long that he might have to start paying it rent.
The 24-year-old Canadian has been pegged as a future Grand Slam champion for a while now, yet he’s failed to even reach a major final. That drought extends to the next tier of events—the Masters Series—where he also hasn’t won a title.
It’s one thing to be considered a contender; it’s quite another to actually be a champion.
Raonic came close at this tournament two years ago before running into a buzz saw named Rafael Nadal in the final. But with the home crowd behind him again, he'll be motivated to continue his mission for a maiden Masters title.
Blessed with one of the most devastating serves in the world and a missile-like forehand, Raonic’s game is perfectly tailored for success on the faster hard courts he’ll roam this summer—if he can hold up physically.
He’s been pestered lately by a creaky right foot that required him to undergo surgery and miss the French Open. When he returned on the grass, Raonic still complained of pain and didn’t look close to 100 percent as he exited early from Wimbledon.
With a few weeks away from competitive play, he’s had a chance to rest his body. We’ll soon find out how Raonic’s recovery process is going and whether he’s any closer to fulfilling his dream of winning important events.
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Rafael Nadal: Has He Turned the Corner?
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Rafael Nadal has looked like a shell of himself for the past year, battling numerous injuries and a growing list of disappointing defeats. But the beleaguered star’s recent title in Hamburg couldn’t have come at a better time for his psyche.
Clawing just to hang around in the Top 10 at this point, Nadal’s victory in Germany gave him his first title on European clay in 2015. No, that win doesn’t negate the sour taste left by his swoon on the dirt earlier this year. But holding a trophy in his hands has to be especially sweet for the Spaniard.
He’s clearly not been the Nadal we’ve grown accustomed to seeing throughout his career. Perhaps he’s finally ready to change that trend. A trip to the Rogers Cup, where he’s a three-time champion (2005, 2008 and 2013), therefore takes on added importance as he battles to regain his mojo.
Forced to skip the event last summer because of an ailing wrist, Nadal won’t have any points to defend here (or the rest of the U.S. Open Series). Down to No. 9 in the rankings, Nadal faces an opportunity to start climbing out of his rut; he literally has nothing to lose. A strong week in Montreal is exactly what Nadal needs to make up ground on his rivals.
Was that Hamburg triumph a mirage or the start of a resurgent comeback? Stay tuned.
Kei Nishikori: What Is the Status of His Health?
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Kei Nishikori faces a similar predicament as Milos Raonic: He sees a first Grand Slam title in his reach, but his body just won't cooperate.
Over the past few years, Nishikori has faced an assortment of injuries, including, but not limited to, his back, elbow, knee, toe and groin. He's like a walking version of the game Operation.
The latest malady? A strain in his left calf suffered in Halle, an injury that eventually forced him to walkover before his second-round match at Wimbledon. The hits keep on coming for the brittle 25-year-old.
Although he'll take little comfort in having to withdraw so early from the All England Club, that extra time off will hopefully allow him to heal before he defends finalist points at the U.S. Open.
Slated to play this week in Washington, as well as Montreal and Cincinnati before traveling to New York, Nishikori will have to closely monitor that calf. In the future, the world's No. 5 player may need to adjust his schedule and play fewer tournaments to lessen the wear on his body.
There's no doubt he has the talent to hang with the best, but as the saying goes, "the best ability is availability," and Nishikori is still struggling with that hurdle.
Andy Murray: Is He Ready to Make Up Ground on His Rivals?
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Andy Murray has been a busy man since his semifinal loss at Wimbledon.
Looking to wash away the pain of that stinging defeat to Roger Federer, Murray helped guide Great Britain past France for its first Davis Cup semifinal appearance since 1981.
Since those heroics, he's taken holiday in Washington, D.C., touring the White House as he prepares for this week's Citi Open. He'll be the heavy favorite to triumph there, which will serve as prime preparation for his upcoming trip to Canada.
While Federer sits out Montreal, Murray can make a dent in the rankings and cut the Swiss' lead for the No. 2 ranking. And he's in that position thanks to the sizzling form he's found the past few months.
We're starting to witness the old Murray, the one who demonstrated his ability to win majors. With three titles just since May, the Scot has returned to the upper echelon of the game. That puzzling 2014 season now seems like a distant memory.
The one riddle he hasn't been able to solve, however, could soon cross paths with him yet again: Novak Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic: Who Can Stop the World No. 1?
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As if the sterling Serb needed any more help, now he returns to his preferred surface armed with a mountain of confidence.
Fresh off his second straight Wimbledon victory, Novak Djokovic is riding high. At 48-3 so far in 2015, the world's No. 1 player is in the midst of a truly special campaign and running circles around his competitors. Save for his stumble in the French Open final, Djokovic has been nearly unbeatable since last fall.
He’s won the last five big hard-court events dating back to October, including Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, the World Tour Finals and the Australian Open. We might as well call him the king of concrete.
Will anyone be able to stop his bid for a fourth title at the Rogers Cup? Maybe not if he’s close to the level he showcased a few Sundays ago at the All England Club.
Djokovic is like an android on the court, sent to impart tennis destruction with his machine-like perfection. And his next target is another piece of Canadian glory as he prepares for a bigger prize waiting in New York.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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