Oh Canada, Oh My

Love-Love Letter #19 | July 25 - Aug 3

Your tennis cheat sheet — for fans who like the game, but don’t want to live on Tennis Twitter.

🌍 Where in the World Are We?

Last weekend, we wrapped up in Washington, D.C., where the Mubadala Citi DC Open delivered everything we hoped for. Since then, we’ve headed north - welcome to the Canadian Open, a Masters 1000 event, also known as the National Bank Open if you’re feeling formal. This year it’s men in Toronto, women in Montreal. Next year? Flip it. Canada sorta co-parents when it comes to tennis.

What’s happening: Last weekend in DC, Alex de Minaur took the title in a stunning final over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while Leylah Fernandez capped her surprise run with a win over Anna Kalinskaya in the finals. Now in Canada, both draws are into the quarterfinal stage and the energy is fully about some major-momentum building ahead of the US Open.

✅ Results You Should Know

Naomi Osaka def. Anastasija Sevastova 6–1, 6–0 (Round of 16, July 31)
💡 Why it matters: Osaka bulldozed through Sevastova to reach her first WTA 1000 quarter at this elite level in over two years. She dropped just one game and looked every inch the Slam champion who's rediscovering her form.

Victoria Mboko def. Coco Gauff 6–1, 6–4 (Round of 16, Aug 2)
💡 Why it matters: Montreal’s wildcard favorite sent the crowd into a frenzy by dismantling world No. 2 Gauff in 62 minutes. At just 18, she’s now the youngest Canadian quarterfinalist here in decades - and a clear buzzworthy future star.

Alex de Minaur def. Frances Tiafoe 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 (Round of 16, Aug 3)
💡 Why it matters: Ever the Demon, de Minaur flexed his trademark durability to knock out the home-crowd favorite Tiafoe. He’ll now face either Ben Shelton or Flavio Cobolli in the quarters - storming toward Grand Slam prep in full stride.

Alex Michelsen def. Learner Tien 6–3, 6–3 (Round of 16, Aug 2)
💡 Why it matters: The 20-year-old American continues his red-hot Masters 1000 run by beating fellow U.S. breakout star Tien in straight sets. Now in his first-ever quarterfinal at this level, Michelsen is staking his claim in the new guard.

Karen Khachanov def. Casper Ruud 6–4, 7–5 (Round of 16, Aug 2)
💡 Why it matters: Khachanov pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the week, eliminating No. 8 seed Ruud and earning his spot in the last eight. The veteran Russian is reminding us that he can play.

🔥 Can’t-Miss Highlights

🎥 Fall, get up, hit a winner
A literal tumble and comeback that embodies the physical and mental grit that defines tennis. You’ll enjoy this one - called “point of the year” by some.
▶️ Watch here (start at 3:47)

🎥 Pure tennis poetry from Tiafoe and de Minaur
A technical marvel. Watching two ends of the stylistic spectrum push each other to the limit never gets old.
▶️ Watch here (start at 2:14)

📆 What to Watch For

📺 How to Watch: Catch the Canadian Open on Tennis Channel in the U.S., with streaming via Tennis Channel Plus. International viewers can stream through WTA TV, ATP Tour, or local broadcasters.

Some amazing quarterfinal action happening today:

Alexander Zverev vs. Alexei Popyrin
Why watch: Zverev’s power meets Popyrin’s title defense. Last year’s champ takes on the top seed - and neither one will play it safe.

Alex Michelsen vs. Karen Khachanov
💡 Why watch: Michelsen’s breakout continues against one of the toughest baseliners on tour. A real “let’s see what you’ve got” matchup.

Victoria Mboko vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
💡 Why watch: Mboko just stunned Coco Gauff. Now the 18-year-old Canadian faces a gritty Spaniard with a semifinal spot on the line - and a home crowd behind her.

📰 Off-Court Happenings

💔 Rune’s DMs Rejected

Veronika Kudermetova revealed on a podcast that Holger Rune “texted her,” only for her to shoot him down by reminding him - “I have a husband.” Rune said sorry, and now he reportedly avoids greeting her altogether.

Mid‑match at the Canadian Open, a commentator literally paused the match to bring up Rune’s DMs - “not tennis‑related, but…” Fans called it harsh, awkward TV. Now there’s debate whether off-court gossip has a place during play.

👗 An Outfit Worth Seeing

Marta Kostyuk’s Tutus and Tantrums

• The Look: Kostyuk went full balletcore on court in Montreal — sporting a sky blue tank with a cinched waistline and a voluminous electric blue tulle skirt that looked one part Swan Lake, one part superhero cape.

• Why It Stands Out: Forget “tennis whites” - this was costume drama meets competitive fire.

• Vibe Check: Bold. Theatrical. Unapologetically main character. She didn’t just dress for the match - she dressed like the moment.