The National Bank Open women’s tennis tournament witnessed a positive turn of events following a somewhat shaky start. Leylah Fernandez from Canada secured a spot in the Round of 16. Alex Eala’s rising stardom added excitement, and prominent WTA Tour players like Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek remained in contention.
Tournament director Karl Hale expressed satisfaction with the tournament’s progress, anticipating further growth in Canadian tennis. The event faced a setback when 2025 champion Victoria Mboko withdrew due to injury, prompting Tennis Canada to grant wild-card entries to Bianca Andreescu and six other Canadians. However, only two Canadians, Kayla Cross and Katherine Sebov, advanced but were eliminated in the second round.
Fernandez, seeded 30th, advanced to face Naomi Osaka after defeating Mirra Andreeva. Eala, a breakout star, continued to impress fans as she progressed to the Round of 16, set to play against Belinda Bencic. Swiatek secured a quarterfinal spot with a hard-fought win over Marta Kostyuk and is set to face Diana Shnaider.
In a surprising upset, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova, who will meet Elina Svitolina in the next round. The tournament faced weather challenges, with rain affecting matches and causing delays.
Media coverage this year was notably thinner, with some major outlets absent. Sportsnet began its coverage late, while TVA Sports provided consistent coverage. Despite challenges, the competition continues until Thursday.
In the men’s singles event in Montreal, Spaniard Rafael Jodar defeated Jiri Lehecka in a convincing victory. Jodar’s impressive performance and growing fan support have marked his rise in the rankings, with a quarterfinal match against Arthur Fils next. Luciano Darderi also advanced to the quarterfinals after a tough win over Nuno Borges.
Jodar emphasized focusing on development rather than rankings, a sentiment echoed by Darderi, who aims to improve his game. Brandon Nakashima and Ben Shelton also progressed to the quarterfinals, showcasing their growth in the tournament. While Canadians are no longer in the men’s singles draw, the all-Canadian doubles team of Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau are still in contention after defeating the eighth-seeded duo.