Nestor nearing the end ahead of Davis Cup draw
After winning virtually every significant tennis title imaginable, the finish line is in sight for Daniel Nestor.
The Canadian doubles star said he is planning to retire next summer, either after the Rogers Cup in his hometown of Toronto or after the U.S. Open in New York. He divulged his plans in an interview with Sportsnet ahead of this week’s Davis Cup tie between Canada and India at Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum.
“It has been in the back of my mind for sure,” Nestor said. “I mean, obviously I wanted to play as long as I could and I’ve been fortunate to play as long as I have. But this last year has been pretty revealing as far as capabilities and ongoing success on tour.”
Nestor, who has had 10 stints as the world’s top-ranked doubles player, is third on the Open era list with 91 doubles titles.
Now 45, he has struggled this year playing with a variety of partners and has dropped to No. 43 in the rankings. He entered the season having won at least one doubles title in each of the last 23 years.
“His time has come, but he’ll always be remembered as a Canadian icon in the tennis world,” said longtime Rogers Cup tournament director Karl Hale.
Nestor turned pro in 1991 and made a name for himself the following year when he stunned top-ranked Stefan Edberg in a fiveset Davis Cup thriller in Vancouver.
The left-hander played singles and doubles in his early days, but quickly emerged as a force in the four-man game with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas. In 2000, Nestor won Olympic gold with Sebastien Lareau at the Sydney Games.
“You never felt pressure playing with Daniel,” Lareau said from Montreal. “He never put any pressure on you so you always felt comfortable to go out and do your thing.”
Nestor, teen phenom Denis Shapovalov, Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil and newcomer Brayden Schnur play a best-of-five Davis Cup playoff against India beginning Friday.
Milos Raonic is unavailable due to injury.