Early setbacks give way to star-driven surge at Toronto’s WTA 1000 event
After initial concerns about local interest and depth, the National Bank Open in Toronto gathered momentum this week as home-country hopes, international headliners and a breakout young star converged on centre court.
Canada’s Leylah Fernandez earned a berth in the Round of 16 after an upset win that kept her in contention late into the week. Fernandez, seeded 30th, will face 11th-seeded Naomi Osaka in a marquee matchup after beating fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the third round.
The tournament has also been lifted by the emergence of 21-year-old Alex Eala. The Filipino player’s recent victory drew loud support — including a visible contingent waving Philippine flags — and organisers described the energy around her as a defining element of the week.
“We couldn’t be happier at this time,” tournament director Karl Hale said, adding: “We think that the tournament will continue to grow and grow and tennis will continue to grow and grow in Canada.”
Star-studded draw cushions local losses
Organisers point to the depth of the draw as a stabilising factor. Hale noted that the field included nine of the top 10 singles players in the world, a statistic he said helped sustain strong attendance despite the loss of domestic star power.
That blow came last month when 2025 champion Victoria Mboko of Burlington, Ont., withdrew with a knee injury. Mboko’s withdrawal removed a major Canadian draw from the list of contenders.
To offset that absence, Tennis Canada awarded wild-card entries to Mississauga’s 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu and six other Canadians. However, only two wild-card recipients — Kayla Cross of London, Ont., and Toronto’s own Katherine Sebov — advanced, and both were eliminated in the second round.
Doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa also exited in the first round, leaving fans hoping for a late domestic surge as the singles competition progresses.
Top players still in the hunt and what's next
Despite early Canadian departures, a number of WTA Tour headliners remained in the field, including Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek. Tournament officials emphasised that the presence of elite international talent has been a key driver of attendance and media interest.
The coming days will test whether the tournament’s civic momentum can be sustained without a deep run from a hometown player. For now, organisers and fans alike have reasons to be optimistic: Fernandez’s progression and Eala’s breakout performances have injected fresh life into a week that began with uncertainty.
- Local developments: Leylah Fernandez moves to Round of 16; Katherine Sebov and Kayla Cross eliminated in second round.
- Star power: Nine of the top 10 singles players are competing, with Sabalenka, Rybakina and Swiatek among the headliners.
- Attendance and atmosphere: Tournament director says attendance has been strong and that centre-court buzz has improved with Eala’s rise.
| Player | Seed |
|---|---|
| Leylah Fernandez | 30 |
| Mirra Andreeva | 5 |
| Naomi Osaka | 11 |
For Toronto, the tournament is more than a week of sport; it is an annual test of how the city and the broader Canadian tennis ecosystem sustain interest when domestic stars falter. Organisers say the combination of global stars and emergent personalities like Eala has so far kept the event on track.
As the WTA 1000 event moves into the later rounds, the local question remains: can a Canadian contender still seize the moment and transform attendance into a city-wide celebration of the sport? The answer will shape how both Tennis Canada and local fans evaluate this year’s edition.
