Denis Shapovalov raises his arms to acknowledge a mishit during Canada's quarter-final loss in Malaga.

Photo : Martin Sidorjak

2024 is officially in the books for the best tennis players in the world. 

Well, the competitive season is over at least. There are still lots of exhibitions going on, but that is another discussion. 

The Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals brought an end to the highest tier of tennis tournaments on the calendar last week. Team Canada was in Malaga, Spain for both events, but did not repeat their success from the previous years. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

In Case You Missed It: Another Last Eight Exit of Team Canada 

Some history repeated for Canada’s Davis Cup team in the Final 8 in Malaga, but not the parts they were hoping for.  

Canada was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup for the second year in a row on Wednesday last week, falling to Germany 2-0. The Canadians were hoping for a repeat of their 2022 quarter-final win over the Germans but instead lost both singles matches to go out in the same stage as 2023. 

Gabriel Diallo and Denis Shapovalov were the two competitors for Team Canada. Diallo lost the opening match to Daniel Altmaier in straight sets while Shapovalov once again lost to Jan-Lennard Struff in a third-set tiebreak.  

The Canadian men also followed their female compatriots out in the same round. The Billie Jean King Cup team lost their quarter-final in Malaga last Sunday to Great Britain.  

CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

On Tuesday, the tennis world bid farewell to Rafael Nadal, whose career officially came to an end with Spain’s loss to the Netherlands. The Spaniard played his final professional match in the opening singles encounter, losing in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp. 

With the conclusion of the Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup, both won by Italy, there are no more tournaments left on the main tours in the 2024 season. The 2025 season will get underway before the calendar flips, with the United Cup beginning on Dec. 29.   

Under the Radar: Draxl Continues Canada’s Mexican Magic 

Last week on the ATP Challenger Tour, Liam Draxl joined the club of Canadians who posted big results in Mexico in 2024. He reached both finals at the ATP Challenger event in Puerto Vallarta, winning the doubles with countryman Benjamin Sigouin. 

The Canadian pair were the top seeds and dropped just one set, in the quarter-finals, capping off the title run with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Americans Karl Poling and Ryan Seggerman. 

Photo : Puerto Vallarta Open

It is Draxl’s fourth Challenger Tour doubles title of 2024 and fifth overall. For Sigouin, it is his second doubles title at the Challenger level. The pair previously teamed up to win a Challenger in Little Rock in June. 

Draxl also reached the singles final, his second on the ATP Challenger Tour, but lost to Nishesh Basavareddy in straight sets.  

Read also: Jasmine (Paolini) – WTA Flower of the Year

Kayla Cross continued the recent Canadian trend of strong performances in the WTA 125 events, reaching the doubles final in Charleston, South Carolina with Liv Hovde, the first WTA 125 final of the 19-year-old’s career. The pair knocked off the top seeds in the quarter-finals and fourth seeds in the semis before finally falling in the final at the hands of the third seeds Nuria Brancaccio and Leyre Romero Gormaz in straight sets. 

Photo : @kayla_tennis_1

Canada had two other runner-up finishes last week, both on the ITF men’s circuit. Juan Carlos Aguilar reached the final of an M15 event in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, while Cleeve Harper got to the doubles title match in Austin, Texas. 

Unlike the ATP and WTA Tours, there is no break on the ITF calendar. The men’s and women’s world tours will continue to hold events through the month of December. Please follow Tennis Canada’s social media channels for updates on Canadian results. 

You can follow the Canadians in action every week here.  

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