The 2024 Canadian Open kicks off this week with some mouth-watering tennis on the horizon.

World number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner, who missed the Olympics through illness, is returning to lead the men’s field in Montreal.

And over in Toronto, reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff will be eager to shake off the setback she suffered in Paris as she touches down to headline the WTA draw.

However, the 20-year-old American will face fierce competition from her good friend and compatriot Jessica Pegula, who was responsible for ousting Gauff in Canada en route to clinching the title 12 months ago.

As we get underway in North America, The Tennis Gazette looks back at five memorable moments from previous editions of the Canadian Open.

Bianca Andreescu’s fairytale run

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Bianca Andreescu stole the hearts of Canadians far and wide in 2019 when she tore down the 64-woman draw and clinched the title.

It was particularly special for the 19-year-old as she made her way past three top-ten-ranked opponents, including Serena Williams in the final, to get her hands on the silverware.

In doing so, she became the first native Canadian to win the event since Faye Urban in 1969.

It was a win that not only catapulted her up the rankings but also gave her the confidence to produce the awe-inspiring run in New York a month later which saw her claim maiden major title at the US Open.

Denis Shapovalov defeats Rafael Nadal

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There are not many better ways to establish a name for yourself in the tennis world than beating Rafael Nadal in your home country at an ATP 1000 event.

But that’s exactly what Denis Shapovalov did in Montreal in 2017.

The explosive 17-year-old had all the answers for everything thrown at him by the Spanish great, eventually coming through victorious in a three-set thriller before advancing right through to the semi-final stage.

However, Shapovalov has since struggled to replicate his form in Canada, failing to step further than the third round in each of his last four appearances at home.

Gael Monfils goes on an absolute rampage

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The 2017 edition in Montreal was home to some special moments, but the pulsating end to the encounter between Gael Monfils and Kei Nishikori is most definitely up there.

It looked all but over after a backhand off the Frenchman’s racket sailed long and Nishikori was on the cusp of victory, leading 6-2 in the deciding set tiebreak.

But a quite remarkable turn of events saw Monfils spring to life and win six points on the bounce to claim victory.

It was true Monfils fashion, too, with some of his trademark scrambling on full show.

Serena Williams’ farewell

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In 2022, Serena Williams pulled the curtain shut on an illustrious career that saw her claim 23 grand slams and spend an incredible 319 weeks as world number one.

But it was more than the accolades. Alongside her sister Venus, Williams captured the hearts of countless admirers worldwide through the values she embodied.

With a heartfelt farewell, her professional career came to a close in Toronto, leaving an indelible mark on the sport and inspiring generations to come.

Cotton Eye Joe interrupts Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek semi

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Last year’s semi-final clash between Pegula and Iga Swiatek at the Canadian Open took a bizarre twist when the match was suddenly serenaded by the uninvited anthem ‘Cotton Eye Joe’.

The unexpected country interlude turned a high-stakes tennis showdown into an impromptu dance-off, with both players laughing it off before getting back to business.

Pegula came out victorious 6-4 in the third set and was able to thump Liudmila Samsonova 6-1, 6-0 in the final to claim her second Masters title.