The National Bank Open women’s tennis tournament saw a positive turn of events following a rocky start. Leylah Fernandez of Canada made it to the Round of 16, while emerging star Alex Eala’s recent success added excitement to the competition. Notable players like Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek remained in contention.
Tournament director Karl Hale expressed satisfaction with the tournament’s progress, foreseeing continued growth in both the event and the sport of tennis in Canada. The absence of 2025 champion Victoria Mboko due to injury led to wildcard entries for Bianca Andreescu and six other Canadians. However, only Kayla Cross and Katherine Sebov progressed to the second round, where they were ultimately eliminated.
The 30th-seeded Fernandez, coming off her 2021 U.S. Open final appearance, secured a spot in the Round of 16 by upsetting the fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva. Meanwhile, Alex Eala, a rising talent, attracted attention with her performance, advancing to face Belinda Bencic in the next round.
In other matches, Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals with a hard-fought win over Marta Kostyuk. Upsets ensued as top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka fell to Ekaterina Alexandrova, who will face Elina Svitolina next. The tournament also faced challenges with weather disruptions and reduced media presence compared to previous years.
In the men’s singles event in Montreal, Rafael Jodar impressed by defeating Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. Jodar’s remarkable performance garnered support from fans chanting “Let’s go Rafa!” He will face Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals. Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima also secured quarterfinal berths after notable wins.
With only one top 10 seed remaining in the men’s singles draw, the competition intensifies. Though no Canadians are left in singles, the Canadian duo of Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau are thriving in the doubles draw, defeating the eighth-seeded pair of Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Kevin Krawietz.