Rogers Cup: 6 most successful players in the history of the tournament

Bhargav
Nadal celebrates his 4th Rogers Cup title after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2018 final in Toronto
Nadal celebrates his 4th Rogers Cup title after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2018 final in Toronto

The sixth Masters 1000 event of the ATP calendar, the Coupe Rogers, dating back to 1881, is the oldest tournament on the tour behind Wimbledon and the US Open.

Since 1980, the tournament has been held in Montreal every odd-numbered year and in Toronto every even-numbered year.

The 2019 Coupe Rogers in Montreal would be the tournament's 130th edition.

Since the Masters 1000 series was conceptualized in 1990, there have been 67 different champions. Only 6 players have triumphed 10 or more times at this level, Rafael Nadal leading the way with 34, followed closely by Novak Djokovic (33) and Roger Federer (28).

For the first time since 2003, the first 5 Masters 1000 events of the season have had as many different champions.

Dominic Thiem won his maiden Masters 1000 event of the year at Indian Wells. Federer emerged victorious in Miami for his 101st career singles title (28th Masters 1000).

Fabio Fognini became the 67th different player to win a Masters 1000 tournament when he beat Dusan Lajovic in the Monte Carlo final. Djokovic and Nadal resumed normal service, triumphing in Madrid and Rome respectively to round out the other Masters 1000 winners of the season.

Defending champion Nadal looks for his first successful title defence at the Coupe Rogers, having previously triumphed at the tournament in 2005 (beat Andre Agassi), 2008 (beat Nicolas Kiefer), 2013 (beat Milos Raonic) and 2018 (beat Stefanos Tsitsipas).

In the absence of Federer and Djokovic in the 2019 Montreal draw, Nadal would strive to win his 5th Coupe Rogers title, which would make the Spaniard the most successful active player at the tournament.

With one more match win, Nadal would tie Federer's record of 378 Masters 1000 match wins.

Here's a look at the most successful players at this lucrative tournament.

#6 Roger Federer (2 titles)

Federer in action at the 2006 Rogers Cup in Toronto
Federer in action at the 2006 Rogers Cup in Toronto

Federer is a two-time champion at the Coupe Rogers, besting Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet respectively in successive Toronto finals in 2004 and 2006.

However, the Swiss is yet to taste further success at the event, losing his last four finals.

Djokovic beat Federer in a third-set tiebreak in the 2007 Montreal final and the Swiss went down to Murray in straight sets in the 2010 Toronto title clash.

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In a tournament which hasn't always been a regular feature in the Swiss' schedule over the years, Federer would fall short in a further two Coupe Rogers finals. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stopped the Swiss in straight sets in 2014 and the young Alexander Zverev snapped Federer's 16-match win streak at the 2017 Montreal final.

In the process, Coupe Rogers became the fifth tournament where Federer lost four or more finals.

(Honourable mentions: John McEnroe and Guillermo Vilas have also won the tournament on 2 occasions each).

#5 Andy Murray (3 titles)

Andy Murray was the last man standing in the 2015 Montreal final
Andy Murray was the last man standing in the 2015 Montreal final

Andy Murray is the third most successful active player at the Coupe Rogers, winning the 2009-10 and 2015 editions of the tournament.

Following a hard-fought 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-1 victory over Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2009 Montreal title clash for his first triumph at the event, Murray returned to Toronto the following year for a successful title defence, beating two-time champion Roger Federer 7-5 7-5 in the final.

It would be five more years before Murray would return to the Coupe Rogers summit clash, in 2015 Montreal. A red hot Novak Djokovic, having won three of the first four Masters 1000 events of the season, awaited across the net.

Having come second best in two tournament finals against Djokovic earlier in the season (Australian Open and Miami), Murray edged out his close friend in a hard-fought final 6-4 4-6 6-3 to lift his third Coupe Rogers title.

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#4 Andre Agassi (3 titles)

Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi is a three-time champion at the Coupe Rogers. The American won his first title at the event in 1992 in Toronto when he downed record six-time champion Ivan Lendl in a three-set final 3-6 6-2 6-0, recovering from the loss of the first set by dropping only two more games in the remainder of the match.

A second Coupe Rogers title would follow in Toronto two years later where he got the better of Jason Stoltenberg 6-2 6-2 in the 1994 final.

Agassi had a successful title defence the following year in Montreal, beating his arch-rival Pete Sampras 3-6 6-2 6-3.

Ten years following his third triumph at the tournament, the American reached a fourth title match at the Coupe Rogers in 2005 Montreal where he went down 3-6 6-4 2-6 to a prodigious Spanish teenager by the name of Rafael Nadal.

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#3 Novak Djokovic (4 titles)

Djokovic celebrates his 4th Rogers Cup after beating Nishikori in the 2016 Toronto final
Djokovic celebrates his 4th Rogers Cup after beating Nishikori in the 2016 Toronto final

Along with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic is the most successful active player at the Coupe Rogers, having won four titles.

The Serbian's fourth and most recent triumph at the event came in 2016 in Toronto when he beat Kei Nishikori in straight sets.

Djokovic's first title at the event came in 2007 in Montreal when he saved three successive set points in the twelfth game of the first set to eventually trump a red-hot Federer in a third set tiebreak.

In the 2011 Montreal final, Djokovic again needed to go the distance, eventually edging American Mardy Fish 6-2 3-6 6-4 for his second Coupe Rogers title.

The Serbian had his first successful title defence at the tournament the following year, when he dropped just five games against Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the 2012 Toronto final.

Following a defeat to Andy Murray in the 2015 final, Djokovic won his fourth Coupe Rogers title in the 2016 edition of the tournament in Toronto.

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#2 Rafael Nadal (4 titles)

Nadal poses with runner-up Tsitsipas after the 2018 final in Toronto
Nadal poses with runner-up Tsitsipas after the 2018 final in Toronto

With a haul of four titles, the Coupe Rogers is defending champion Rafael Nadal's most successful hardcourt tournament.

In the 2018 title match in Toronto, the Spanish left-hander overcame a red hot Stefanos Tsitsipas, stopping the young Greek in a tight straight-set win.

Earlier in the tournament, Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four consecutive top-ten opponents before coming up short against Nadal, having squandered a set point in the second set and then a mini-break lead in the ensuing tiebreak.

Back in 2005, a teenaged Nadal beat Andre Agassi for his first hardcourt title. Further successes would follow in 2008 when Nadal beat Nicolas Keifer for his second title at the event and in 2013 when the Spaniard foiled Milos Raonic's bid to become the first homegrown champion in the Open Era.

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#1 Ivan Lendl (6 titles)

Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl

Ivan Lendl is the most successful player at this event, triumphing a record six times.

His first title at the event was in 1980 when he beat Boris Becker in the final. Lendl returned the following year to successfully defend his title against Eliot Teltscher.

After Vitas Gerulaitis denied Lendl a three-peat in the 1982 final, the Czech beat Anders Jarryd in 1983 for his third title at the event.

Following a defeat in the 1985 title match against American John McEnroe, Lendl duly completed his three-peat at the Coupe Rogers (then called the Players International), beating Stefan Edberg in 1987, Kevin Curren in 1988 and John McEnroe in 1989 for his fourth, fifth and sixth titles at the tournament.

In his last final at the event in 1992, Lendl would fall short against Agassi 6-3 2-6 0-6.

Lendl's 57 singles match wins at the tournament is the most by any player.

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What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here