Nadal wins record-extending 35th Masters in Montreal, completes 1st successful hardcourt title defence

Rafael Nadal, widely known as the 'king of clay', is indeed a 'king of Masters 1000s' too.

In the 2019 Coupe Rogers final held at Montreal, the Spaniard beat young Russian Daniil Medvedev for the loss of just three games to become the first multiple Masters 1000 winner this season. In the process, he extended his record Masters 1000 titles tally to 35.

Following a long point on serve to open the match, the Spaniard was forced to save a break point as Medvedev made the stronger start. But Nadal soon settled down, and broke the Medvedev serve in the fourth game.

The single break of serve sufficed for Nadal to take the opening set as Medvedev dropped his first set in the tournament in five matches.

Daniil Medvedev had no answers to Nadal's mastery

Nadal rode his momentum by breaking Medvedev's serve in the opening game of the second set, and never looked back from there. The young Russian's belief ebbed out rapidly as he dropped serve for the second time in the set and Nadal took a stranglehold over the match.

The end was mercifully swift for Medvedev, who couldn't avoid the ignominy of a bagel. Nadal closed out the match by winning seven games on the trot to complete a lopsided 6-3, 6-0 victory and take the Coupe Rogers title for the second consecutive year.

Rafael Nadal lifting his 5th Rogers Cup trophy

Against a 23rd different opponent in a Masters 1000 final, Nadal extended his record Masters 1000 tally to 35. The Spaniard reigned supreme in Canada for the fifth time in his career, making this his most successful tournament outside clay.

Nadal's triumph in Montreal marked a historic first successful hardcourt title defence for the Spaniard in the 19th year of his professional career. He will, however, not make a bid to complete the Canada-Cincinnati double; shortly after defeating Medvedev he announced his withdrawal from Cincinnati, in order to rest for the US Open.

The win also helped Nadal pull to within one big title (Grand Slam / ATP Finals / Masters 1000) of Federer and Djokovic's joint record tally of 54.