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It took awhile – the wrestlers and the breakers and the canoers took priority, it seems – but Tennis Canada and the Canadian Olympic folks finally announced the composition of Canada’s team for next month’s Summer Olympics in Paris.

As we noted earlier today in the Daily Drill, that list will not include Denis Shapovalov.

Quebecers Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez will lead the squad, which also includes Bianca Andreescu, Milos Raonic and Gabriela Dabrowski.

Andreescu and Raonic are in on protected rankings.

Shapo to the hard courts

About a minute before the announcement landed, the Citi Open in D.C. confirmed that Shapovalov, who is already on the list for the Atlanta tournament the previous week during the Olympics, would also be playing there.

Shapovalov missed Tokyo for a variety of reasons. At this point, with his ranking at No. 120, he probably feels he can’t afford to potentially compromise his money part of the season – the North American hard courts.

Plus, he’s not a huge fan of the clay. To say the least.

The Daily Drill – Thursday, June 27, 2024

Dabrowski and Fernandez will play doubles together, along with Auger-Aliassime and Raonic.

Here are lots of o f f i c i a l p r e s s –r e l e a s e quotes they probably didn’t actually say.

Dabrowski is the veteran; this will be her third Olympics after Rio in 2016, and Tokyo in 2021.

Auger-Aliassime and Fernandez completed in Tokyo, while Raonic’s first and only other Olympic appearance came at the London Games in 2012.

For Andreescu, it’s a debut.

It might have been technically possible to have Dabrowski, who is a top-10 doubles player, select her own partner (she might have been able to bring newbie Marina Stakusic along for the ride, for example, which would have been great experience for her going forward). And have Fernandez and Andreescu team up. But despite her status, those are ultimately Tennis Canada decisions.

And Dabrowski and Fernandez would certainly have the best chance at a medal.

There will, of course, be plenty of Tennis Canada people to accompany them on their journey.

*Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.