The singles final is set for the 2022 edition of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers and the tournament will crown a first-time winner on Sunday at IGA Stadium in Montreal. It may not be the championship match that everyone expected, but Hubert Hurkacz and Pablo Carreno Busta are worthy finalists after putting together an impressive week of tennis.
In the event that you aren’t as familiar with them, here are some interesting facts about our final two.
Hubert Hurkacz
Hubert Hurkacz is the top Polish men’s player in history and has improved his year-end ranking in seven straight seasons. Currently ranked no. 10 in the world, the 25-year-old is looking to capture his second career ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal after winning the Miami Masters event last year. A victory on Sunday would also be his sixth career ATP singles trophy and second this season.
Hurkacz is the first Polish male player to reach the final in Canada since Wojtek Fibak in 1976.
Off the court, Hurkacz, who is best known by the nickname ‘Hubi’, idolized Michael Jordan growing up and sometimes opts for cereal as a pre-match meal. If he wasn’t a tennis player, he would have pursued race-car driving, basketball or a career in business.
Hubi is known on tour for being thoughtful, kind, and an all-around good guy so it’s no wonder he feels at home on Canadian soil. He quickly became a crowd favourite at IGA Stadium last weekend when he stole the show during the ball hockey game against NHL players with his slick dekes and fancy stick work.
Pablo Carreno Busta
Pablo Carreno Busta may have reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2017, he has entered uncharted territory in Montreal by advancing to his first Masters 1000 final. He’ll be aiming to take home his first title of the season and the seventh of his career.
Carreno Busta, known affectionately by fans as ‘PCB’, won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after defeating Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev en route to the podium.
He grew up idolizing his Spanish compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero, who was in Montreal this week with Carlos Alcaraz. It’s no wonder that he has enjoyed considerable success on hard courts since he played almost exclusively on the surface until his teenage years.
Carreno Busta advanced to Sunday’s final without dropping a set in his first four matches while Hurkacz has gone the distance in all his matches. The two players have split their two previous meetings.
Enjoy the show!
