National Bank Open top seed Alexander Zverev practices with ice tennis player Rob Worling

Canadians figure out a way to play as many sports as possible on ice, and ice tennis is no exception. While preparing for the National Bank Open, Alexander Zverev practiced with ice tennis star Rob Worling on a mixed-surface court.

Worling is not new to ice tennis exhibitions and played it at Wimbledon a couple of years ago. For those who think tennis on a land surface is tough, ice tennis is mind-boggling.

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Zverev’s practice session with Worling

If you are thinking this is easier than ice hockey, I beg to differ. The stick may help give the body extra support as the player skates side to side and up and down the rink.

In ice tennis, the racquet could throw off the balance particularly as Worling skates side to side and chooses to alternate between forehands and backhands.

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All eyes on Zverev at NBO

With so many top players opting out of the National Bank Open in Montreal, 2026 French Open champion Zverev will be the favorite and the one bearing the most pressure.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are not playing. The jam-packed calendar, with back-to-back 12-day Masters 1000 tournaments, leading into the US Open is the main culprit. Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic are all expected to play at the Cincinnati Open beginning Aug. 13.

Zverev addressed the schedule challenges while balancing mental and physical health. He has opted to skip smaller tournaments as a way of managing the workload.

If not before, the scheduling issues will come to a head when the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics roll around as the Olympic Games begin on July 14, 2028. Wimbledon concludes on July 16, 2028.

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