Tennis stars are gearing up for the North American hard-court season as the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) build toward the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year. 

For Argentine players, it represents one last chance to make an impact at a major after a disappointing Wimbledon campaign.

The two key tune-up events ahead of New York are the Canadian Open — held in Montreal for the men and Toronto for the women — followed by the Cincinnati Open.

With 1,000 ranking points on offer to each champion, there is plenty at stake.

Cerúndolo, Argentina’s biggest hope in the men’s draw

At least eight Argentine players are set to compete in the men’s draw in Montreal and Cincinnati, led by Francisco Cerúndolo, the country’s highest-ranked player.

Montreal, in particular, could present a strong opportunity. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have all withdrawn from the tournament.

The world No. 20 has not played since his first-round exit at Wimbledon in June. It was a disappointing result for the 27-year-old, who had just captured the biggest grass-court........

© Buenos Aires Herald