The National Bank Open is the first Masters/WTA 1000 tournament of the North American hard-court swing, taking place in Canada. This tournament forms part of the US series, which culminates with the third Grand Slam of the season at the US Open in New York.
As is tradition, Toronto and Montreal will remain the two host cities, alternating each year. The men’s draw will be played in Toronto, and the women’s will take place in Montreal. The entry list was recently revealed, and the notable omission is WTA world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who withdrew due to fatigue.
Men’s former No. 1, Novak Djokovic, is expected to make the trip to Canada for the first time since 2018. He is a four-time champion of the National Bank Open. The tournament will reserve 13 wild card slots, and four recipients have been named.
National Bank Open: Four Players Receive Wild Cards
The only confirmed men’s wild card is 23-year-old Canadian Liam Draxl. All four of his previous appearances in this tournament came in qualifying, but he deservedly gets a main draw wild card this year. Draxl won the Winnipeg Challenger this month and is due to play a quarterfinal at the Granby Challenger at the time of writing. Four more men’s wild cards will be named ahead of the tournament.
The first women’s wild card is Eugenie Bouchard. The 31-year-old announced that she will be retiring from professional tennis after the tournament. She has played five times since the start of the 2024 season. Bouchard became a pickleball pro at the start of last year.
Joining Bouchard in the draw is Bianca Andreescu. She is Canada’s only Grand Slam singles champion. Andreescu will play for the first time since a shock defeat in Wimbledon qualifying to compatriot Carson Branstine. Andreescu won the 2019 National Bank Open, which was held in Toronto.
Completing the initial list is the highly talented Victoria Mboko. As one of the country’s fastest-rising youngsters, Mboko will be keen to impress on her full debut. She has compiled an excellent 45-8 record across all levels this season.
Main draw action at the 2025 National Bank Open will begin on Sunday, July 27th.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton – USA TODAY Sports
