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Newly crowned Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal is expected to meet Roger Federer again, this time in Sunday's Rogers Cup final. (Montserrat T. Diez/AP)
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Rarely does a city have such an embarrassment of sporting riches as Toronto has this week.
Tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, soccer icon David Beckham and popular golfers Fred Couples, Mike Weir and Stephen Ames are all in town to compete.
It's not only good news for sports fans, but for the athletes themselves. Many of them plan to spend their leisure time this week checking out their big-name counterparts in other sports.
Federer and Nadal are at the Rogers Cup and potentially headed for a showdown in the final on Sunday, while Beckham is part of the MLS all-star team that will take on English Premier League side West Ham United at BMO Field tomorrow.
Couples, Weir and Ames are in the field at the 100th playing of the RBC Canadian Open, which will begin tomorrow at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in the Toronto-area community of Oakville.
"We think it's tremendous to have all these world-class athletes in one metropolitan area at once," said Dan Courtemanche, the senior vice-president of marketing and communications with MLS. "It doesn't get any better than this."
With a $900,000 (all currency U.S.) first prize and a national title on the line, the Canadian Open is serious business. But Couples doesn't plan to spend his entire week grinding away at Glen Abbey.
The 48-year-old American said he hopes to attend some of the matches at the Rogers Cup on Friday and a baseball game between the Toronto Blue Jays and his hometown Seattle Mariners on Saturday.
"Any kind of competition for me is fun and it's relaxing," he said on the practice range at Glen Abbey yesterday. "It's a good way to unwind."
Couples also had plans to go to two of the Eagles' three concerts at the Air Canada Centre and make a backstage visit to an old friend, band member Glenn Frey.
Canadian Open organizers said Couples won't be the only golfer hitting the town. About 30 others planned to see the Eagles and many wanted to attend the Rogers Cup, the MLS all-star game and another soccer match, last night's Nutrilite Canadian Championship game.
Jon Mills of Belleville, Ont., was among those Canadian Open entrants headed to last night's soccer game between Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact.
"I've never been to a soccer game," Mills said. "I've actually started to watch a little bit the last year or so. I watched the tournament going on in Europe a few weeks ago, maybe a month ago. I'm excited to go to that tonight [last night]."
Courtemanche of the MLS said some of the tennis players, including soccer-loving Nadal, were interested in attending the all-star game training sessions today and meeting Beckham. But how many actually show up will depend on the tennis schedule. He added that any of the golfers would be welcomed "with open arms," too.
Ames, a Calgary resident who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, was among the golfers interested in the MLS all-star game. But as the golfers head out to various sporting arenas, don't expect to see any of them lined up at the ticket wickets.
Canadian Open organizers arranged the tickets as one of the many perks they offer to players.
Along with providing BMW courtesy cars and arranging a charter flight from the British Open to Toronto last Sunday, the tickets are part of the package of goodies the tournament uses to lure players and make their week more memorable.
Tournament director Bill Paul said players are responding positively to the offers. "That's kind of neat that players want to be part of something else," he said.
The Canadian Open and Rogers Cup usually aren't held the same week. But the tennis tournament was moved from its August date this year so players can compete in the Olympics, which will begin Aug. 8 in Beijing.
The MLS all-star game just happened to be this week, too, at BMO Field.
The only possible downside to the concentration of sporting events in a single week is the competition among them for fans and their money. But even that doesn't seem to be a significant problem.
Tennis Canada president Michael Downey said Toronto is diverse and big enough to support all of this week's events. "There are more than enough sports fans in Toronto," he said. Ticket sales are brisk at the Rogers Cup, with the final already sold out, he said.
Not only does the ATP Tour event have the top five players in the world in the field, but the sport has a buzz in the wake of the thrilling Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal this month.
"Wimbledon has made our life easier," Downey said.
Paul acknowledged the Rogers Cup and soccer games represent competition to the Canadian Open, but the golf tournament always faces challenges to attract fans.
"Toronto has a lot of other things going on," he said. "So there's a lot of pull and tug for everyone's dollars, whether it's sport entertainment or theatre entertainment."
The 2007 Canadian Open attendance was 91,065 at the Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., while the men's Rogers Cup drew about 150,000 when it was last held in Toronto, in 2006.
