NEW YORK — Daniel Nestor knows a thing or two about winning Grand Slam tournaments. The Canadian captured eight major doubles titles, including the 2004 U.S. Open with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas, and 91 career doubles titles total on the ATP Tour.
Sporting News caught up with the 2018 Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame inductee as he walked from Vasek Pospisil's upset of No. 9 Karen Khachanov on Court 12 (Nestor teamed up with Pospisil at the 2016 Olympic Games) to see Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime battle it out on the Grandstand court.
(Editor's note: The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.)
SPORTING NEWS: Coming from Vasek Pospisil's match, what did you see out there?
DANIEL NESTOR: I thought he played great. He looked a little shaky at the beginning because he was a little unsure with his back but he shook it off and I thought he played perfect tennis for the most part.
MORE: Vasek Pospisil upsets No. 9 Karen Khachanov in Round 1
SN: Bianca Andreescu, she won her match earlier today. What does she mean for Canadian tennis?
DN: She's the full package. She's very talented, she can hit hard. She can mix it up, she can play at the net. She's one of the rare women's players that can do a little bit of everyhing. I think some of them that we've seen at the top in the past were a little bit one-dimensional but she brings a different talent level, which is very exciting for her. Considering how young all these players are, it's great for Canadian tennis.
SN: Speaking of all the young players right now, with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov and Bianca, what does the future of Canadian tennis look like in your mind?
DN: Well, you have three teenagers in the [top 30] in the world, so obviously there's many years of success ahead. It's the best we've ever had it in Canadian tennis, for sure.
SN: Davis Cup is looking bright with the players now in the system.
DN: I don't know if Milos [Raonic, who withdrew from the U.S. Open because of a glute injury] is going to be healthy enough to play but they still have a very strong team with him, and considering the conditions in Madrid, it's pretty fast, so I think it plays into their hands for sure.
SN: Is it surprising with today's game that you don't see serve and volleying as much as you used to? As a former doubles player, obviously net game is so critical
DN: They slowed the sport down dramatically about 15 years ago, 15 to 20 years ago, and now it's the next generation of players that have come up playing on slower courts, so that's the way the game has evolved. More side-to-side, longer rallies, opening up the court from the baseline. You still have to have the capability to finish at the net, which some of the top guys can improve, all singles guys can improve that for sure, but, yeah, it's a new sport.
SN: What are your expectations for Bianca at the U.S. Open?
DN: If she's healthy she has a chance to win, right? It all depends on her health and that's [the] No. 1 priority. If she's able to just play her game and be injury-free, she can win.
MORE: Andreescu overcomes sloppy play to defeat Katie Volynets in first round
SN: Never been a Canadian champion.
DN: For sure, that would be huge. We have a few players that are capable of winning Grand Slams, so [it's] very exciting. One's going to eventually do it.