The National Bank Open women’s tennis tournament saw a positive turn of events following a rocky start. Leylah Fernandez from Canada secured a spot in the Round of 16. Alex Eala’s rising star continued to shine, boosting excitement among fans. Notable players like Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek remained in contention.
Tournament director Karl Hale expressed satisfaction with the current progress, anticipating further growth in both the event and tennis popularity in Canada. The tournament faced a setback when 2025 champion Victoria Mboko withdrew due to a knee injury, prompting Tennis Canada to grant wild-card entries to several Canadian players.
Despite the wild-card entries, only Kayla Cross and Katherine Sebov advanced but were eliminated in the second round. Canadian doubles star Gabriela Dabrowski also exited in the first round. The presence of nine top 10 singles players boosted the event’s success, with strong attendance recorded. However, Hale highlighted the impact of a Canadian player performing well on the home crowd’s enthusiasm.
Fernandez, seeded 30th, will face Naomi Osaka in the third round after defeating Mirra Andreeva. Alex Eala, a breakout star, continued to impress fans and will face Belinda Bencic in the next round. Swiatek secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought win over Marta Kostyuk.
The tournament faced challenges with heavy rain affecting matches and media presence being lower than previous years. Sportsnet delayed its coverage, with the WTA and ATP world feed handling domestic broadcast. Rafael Jodar’s swift victory over Jiri Lehecka in the men’s singles quarterfinals showcased his talent and composure on the court.
Jodar’s impressive performance and rise in rankings have garnered attention, with fans chanting support during his matches. He will face Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals. Luciano Darderi also advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Nuno Borges. Brandon Nakashima and Ben Shelton progressed in their matches, while the Canadian doubles team of Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau continued their run in the tournament.