The National Bank Open women’s tennis tournament saw a positive turn of events following a slow start. Leylah Fernandez from Canada reached the Round of 16, creating excitement among fans. Rising star Alex Eala continued to impress, with top players Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek still competing.
Tournament director Karl Hale expressed satisfaction with the tournament’s progress, anticipating further growth in Canadian tennis. Despite the withdrawal of Victoria Mboko due to injury, wild-card entries were given to Bianca Andreescu and six other Canadians. However, only two Canadians, Kayla Cross and Katherine Sebov, advanced but were eliminated in the second round. Doubles player Gabriela Dabrowski also exited in the first round, ending Canadian representation.
With top-ranked singles players in attendance, the event’s success was attributed to the competitive field. Fernandez, seeded 30th, secured a spot in the third round after defeating Mirra Andreeva. Meanwhile, Eala from the Philippines advanced to the Round of 16 and will face Belinda Bencic next.
In other matches, Swiatek sealed a quarterfinal spot with a win over Marta Kostyuk. Upsets occurred as Aryna Sabalenka fell to Ekaterina Alexandrova, who will now face Elina Svitolina. Despite occasional rain disruptions, the competition continued with intense matches and surprises.
Notably, media coverage was lower this year, impacting the tournament’s visibility. Sportsnet’s delayed broadcast and thinner media presence were observed, with efforts made to ensure Canadian fans could follow the matches. The event will run until Thursday, featuring more exciting matchups.
In men’s singles, Rafael Jodar impressed with a decisive victory over Jiri Lehecka. The Spaniard’s performance garnered support from fans chanting his name, as he advanced to the quarterfinals. Other players like Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima also secured quarterfinal berths after tough matches.
With only one top 10 seed remaining in the men’s singles draw, the competition intensifies. Despite no Canadians left in the men’s singles, the duo of Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau continues to represent Canada in the doubles draw, defeating higher-seeded opponents.