CANADA is a nation to be wary of at the upcoming 2022 ATP Cup, with the side back to full strength in the singles, and having some steady heads for the doubles, making them a serious threat on the title. They have landed in Group C at the event, with some stiff competition against Germany and Great Britain, but if their young guns could fire, then watch out.

2022 CANADA TEAM

Felix Auger-Aliassime
Denis Shapovalov
Brayden Schnur
Peter Polansky
Steven Diez

The two Top 20 talents in Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov automatically give opposing nations enough to worry about. Though Auger-Aliassime has won the number one singles spot at year’s end, the pair ultimately are at the same level, having switched the spots from most of the season. It means Canada is in the rare position of having number one and number two singles players who can do equal damage, and in most cases, if they can cause an upset against their higher-ranked opponent in singles, they will likely beat the number two singles opponent. There is not a great deal of depth from a singles perspective without Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil, but they have included world number 238 – and former Top 100 player – Schnur.

Though Schnur has a career ATP Tour record of 4-18, he has shown he is capable on the ITF circuit on hard courts, but ideally he is there in case of injury. The doubles is a cause for concern because the North Americans’ two highest doubles players are again, Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov. Not wanting to overload them, they will no doubt use Polansky in the doubles (159th in the world), though Diez is not a doubles player either ranked outside the Top 500, and is 274th for singles. Put short, the two high-ranked Canadians will need to do doubles duty if either one of them loses, to give themselves best chance of victory.

Against Germany, they may run into issues with the doubles, especially now Alexander Zverev is back. They have enough strength at the singles against Great Britain that they should defeat Cameron Norrie and Daniel Evans, but would fall into serious danger at the doubles with Great Britain holding two Top 20 doubles players. The United States should not be a problem, with their neighbouring nation ranked lower at both singles spots, and their doubles combination having issues in past years at this event. Overall, they will push the sides, though Germany could be the nation to advance.

Prediction: 2nd in Group C