Canada’s Bianca Andreescu bounced from NBO after Kayla Cross secures first WTA win

TORONTO – Bianca Andreescu has once again been bounced early from her home tournament.

The product of nearby Mississauga, Ont., fell 7-5, 6-4 to Czechia’s Nikola Bartunkova in first-round singles action at the National Bank Open on Monday.

Andreescu, who ended Canada’s half-century drought on the same centre court at the annual tennis showcase in 2019, had three set-point chances in the first serving up 5-2 before a couple of mistakes opened the door for her opponent.

The 26-year-old ranked No. 174 in the world had a fourth set-point opportunity leading 5-4, but Bartunkova again battled back. The WTA’s 42nd-ranked player then broke the fading Andreescu up 5-4 in the second set to take the match in one hour 53 minutes.

The first Canadian to win a Grand Slam when she captured the U.S. Open on the heels of her NBO win, Andreescu also lost in the first round in Toronto in 2024 and dropped out of last year’s Montreal tournament due to injury following an opening-round victory.

Canadian fans had plenty to cheer at Sobeys Stadium earlier in the day, however, when Kayla Cross picked up her first career WTA victory with a 7-6 (3), 7-5 upset of Britain’s Katie Boulter to advance.

“Definitely in shock,” said the London, Ont., native, who will play doubles with Andreescu in Toronto. “Still doesn’t really feel real.”

Competing in just her third tour match and included at the US$7.4-million event as a wild-card entry, the 21-year-old’s next opponent is No. 28 seed Ann Li of the United States.

A total of five Canadians were poised to hit the court on York University’s windswept campus on city’s northern edge after a chunk of Sunday’s schedule was delayed by rain.

McCartney Kessler of the U.S. cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Cadence Brace of Oakville, Ont. Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill, Ont., took on Poland’s Magda Linette, while Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino was scheduled to meet Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez.

Spurred on by a home-soil tennis crowd, Cross fought off four set points in the first and then broke Boulter — ranked No. 69 in the world — at 5-5 in the second before serving out to pick up a memorable victory in just under two hours.

“I got a text message last night asking if I wanted to be on centre court,” Cross said. “Obviously said ‘yes’ right away. The game plan going in was try to play my game, trying to go for the shots.

“Just live in the moment and be happy out there.”

Cross, who bowed out of the NBO’s first round in 2025, entered the tournament ranked 172 after sitting at 262 some 12 months ago.

“I checked my phone after the match,” she said. “I think I had like a hundred notifications … a little overwhelmed.”

Toronto’s Katherine Sebov topped Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to advance.

Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que. — the only seeded Canadian in the women’s tournament at No. 30 — plays her first match Wednesday. 

Victoria Mboko of Burlington, Ont., who captured last summer’s NBO title at age 18 and is ranked No. 12 on tour, is out of this year’s tournament because of a knee injury.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2026.