Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka headlines 96-player entry list for NBO Toronto tourney

TORONTO – Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka headlined the 96-player list for the National Bank Open, a tournament that will have a new champion this year after the recent withdrawal of Canada’s Victoria Mboko.

Tennis Canada said 72 of the WTA Tour’s top 75 players were entered in the Aug. 2-13 competition at Sobeys Stadium.

“With the second year of our expanded 12-day format, fans will have more opportunities than ever to enjoy elite tennis and experience everything the tournament has to offer in Toronto this August,” tournament director Karl Hale said in a statement.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, will be joined in the field by second-ranked Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and third-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland. The tournament is one of 10 WTA 1000 events on the tour calendar.

Other notable entries included fourth-ranked Jessica Pegula, who won back-to-back NBO titles in 2023 and 2024, and fellow Americans Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) and Coco Gauff (No. 7).

World No. 24 Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., and 180th-ranked wild-card entry Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., also have main-draw spots.

“Playing in front of my home crowd is always so special,” Andreescu said Wednesday on a conference call. “The crowd just gives you that extra motivation and just that extra support to keep pushing.”

Mboko, from Burlington, Ont., confirmed Tuesday that she would not be able to defend her title. She suffered a left knee injury last month at the HSBC Championships.

Mboko defeated Japanese star Naomi Osaka in last year’s final at Montreal. She beat four former Grand Slam champions en route to her first WTA Tour crown. 

Before the injury, Tennis Canada had promoted Mboko’s return by announcing her title defence would begin with a showcase evening match on Aug. 5. 

It wasn’t immediately clear who might replace her in that session. Scheduling meetings were set to be held after the draw for the US$7.43-million tournament on July 31. 

There are four former NBO champions in the field. 

In addition to Pegula, eighth-ranked Elina Svitolina (2017 champion) of Ukraine is back along with 11th-ranked Swiss Belinda Bencic, who won in 2015. Andreescu was victorious in 2019. 

American Venus Williams was previously confirmed as a wild-card entry. It wasn’t immediately clear if her sister, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, would seek one of the six other wild-card spots. 

The 44-year-old, who’s attempting a comeback this season, recently injured her knee in a first-round loss at Wimbledon in her first competitive singles match in four years. 

Tennis Canada said the other wild-card entries would be announced later this month.

“At this time we don’t have full insight into Serena’s plans or schedule,” a Tennis Canada spokesperson said via email. “But we would, of course, be prepared to welcome her back to Toronto with open arms. 

“Serena is a legend of the sport, a three-time NBO singles champion and, in 2022, she announced her retirement during our tournament, ensuring she has a special connection with our event and fans.”

The top 32 seeds will receive first-round byes. A one-day qualifying round is set for Aug. 1. 

Andreescu, meanwhile, who has dealt with a variety of injuries in recent seasons, recently qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw in nearly two years at the All-England Club. 

“It was definitely very emotional,” said Andreescu. “I felt like I really needed to experience what that moment really felt like in that moment.”

The 26-year-old Canadian lost to China’s Zhang Shuai in the first round.

The entry list for the ATP Tour’s National Bank Open in Montreal will be released on Thursday. The men’s and women’s tournaments run concurrently and alternate between the two host cities each year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2026.