The hat-trick on the North American tour. Something impossible to repeat?

Streaming ITF M25 Setubal live tennis

🎾 Alec Deckers vs Rafael Izquierdo Luque

1. Sign up with Bet365 here
2. Make your first deposit of at least €5
3. Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

 PUBLICIDAD

At a time when voices continue to emerge against the new, increasingly tight and demanding tennis calendar, it is good to remember those times when some players achieved a milestone that is hard to match: winning three titles in the same North American hardcourt tour. Following Wimbledon, these tournaments are very demanding and push players to perform at their peak once again. However, this year will be no exception, and all signs point to the uncontrolled drop of top seeds at the ATP Toronto or ATP Cincinnati not becoming a new trend.

Only Patrick Rafter, Rafa Nadal, and Andy Roddick can boast of having won both the Canada Masters, the Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open in the same season. Legends few can match, their titles were no fluke due to the level of play they displayed on court. With Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic missing in Toronto, the chances of anyone achieving this feat in 2025 are very slim, as these three names are expected to once again claim the major trophies in the coming weeks.

- Legendary Champions

Patrick Rafter won the Canada Masters in 1998 without dropping a single set and lost only two sets in Cincinnati, one of them in the final to Pete Sampras with a score of 1-6. Nevertheless, the Australian staged a comeback and clinched the title with a scoreline of 1-6 7-6 6-4. In the following weeks, he secured the trophy at Flushing Meadows, completing this milestone for the first time.

Similarly, five years later, Andy Roddick emerged to claim the record as his own. The American won the Montreal Masters and faced a historic final in Cincinnati against his friend Mardy Fish. Despite fighting off match points, he triumphed to lift the title. At the US Open, he won without dropping a set against Juan Carlos Ferrero, etching his name in history (still the last American to win the US Open).

The last to join this exclusive group was Rafa Nadal in 2013 when he had one of the best seasons of his career, capturing 10 titles including Roland Garros and the US Open. Nadal swiftly defeated a hometown favorite, Milos Raonic, in the Canadian final (6-2 6-2) and faced a tough challenge in Cincinnati against Greensboro giant John Isner. Nonetheless, he managed to win 7-6 7-6. In the US Open final, he battled none other than Djokovic, whom he defeated 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-1.

- Agassi's Case

Andre Agassi can also boast of winning three trophies on the tour but without the luck of taking the US Open in that same 1995 season. The American claimed the Canada title after defeating his arch-rival Pete Sampras and in Cincinnati, he faced Michael Chang in the final, prevailing with a 7-5 6-2 victory. Heading into the US Open as the top favorite after winning New Haven ATP (now extinct), Agassi encountered Sampras in the final seeking revenge and prevented Agassi from completing the feat, winning 6-4 6-3 4-6 7-5.

- A Challenge to Repeat

The absence of top stars increases the likelihood of lesser-known players winning titles or major surprises, such as Alexei Popyrin's victory at the 2024 ATP Montreal. The Australian has the skills to claim such a title, but his inconsistency doesn't place him as a favorite for another title like that. Moreover, these absences come from the extended calendar, with one-week-long Masters 1000 tournaments resulting in higher physical exhaustion. Witnessing a player, regardless of name, achieving the ATP Toronto, ATP Cincinnati, and the US Open in a season like this has become practically impossible today. The calendar will need to be revamped to avoid more lackluster tournaments like Toronto this week.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El triplete en la gira norteamericana. ¿Algo imposible de repetir?