2026 National Bank Open Day 8 Recap: Sabalenka and Pegula Stunned in Toronto
The 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers reached a fever pitch on Saturday, August 8. Day 8 delivered monumental plot twists, rain-delayed thrillers, and huge upsets across both host venues.
In Toronto, Sobeys Stadium witnessed the shocking downfall of top seeds, as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and two-time champion Jessica Pegula were both ousted in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, in Montreal, the next generation of ATP talent stole the show at IGA Stadium, led by 19-year-old phenom Rafael Jodar and France’s Arthur Fils booking a blockbuster quarterfinal clash, while Canadian wild cards Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau kept their fairytale doubles run alive.
Here is your comprehensive recap of all the action from Day 8 at the 2026 National Bank Open.
Part 1: Men’s Action in Montreal – Next-Gen Stars Advance; Nakashima & Canadian Doubles Pair Shine
The bottom half of the Montreal draw completed its Round of 16 matches on Saturday, setting up a riveting quarterfinal lineup.
Rafael Jodar & Arthur Fils Book Star-Studded Quarterfinal
The future of men’s tennis was on full display during Saturday night’s Centre Court session as two young stars delivered commanding performances:
- Rafael Jodar Cruising: Nineteen-year-old Spanish sensation Rafael Jodar (seeded 20th) continued his extraordinary hard-court summer with a dominant 6-3, 6-3 victory over 8th seed Jiri Lehecka. Jodar, who reached the Washington final earlier in the week, won seven of his last eight matches and surged to a career-high live ranking of No. 13. The victory marks his third consecutive Masters 1000 quarterfinal appearances after previous runs in Madrid and Rome.
- Arthur Fils Fends Off Norrie: 18th seed Arthur Fils wrapped up the evening session with a 6-2, 7-6(8) victory over British veteran Cameron Norrie. Fils needed six match points in a heart-pounding second-set tiebreaker to finally close out the match. The Frenchman advances to his fourth Masters 1000 quarterfinal of the season (following Indian Wells, Miami, and Madrid) where he will collide with Jodar on Monday night.
[20] Rafael Jodar (ESP) def. [8] Jiri Lehecka (CZE) | 6-3, 6-3
[18] Arthur Fils (FRA) def. Cameron Norrie (GBR) | 6-2, 7-6(8)
--> Quarterfinal Matchup: Rafael Jodar vs. Arthur Fils
Brandon Nakashima Reaches Milestone Masters Quarterfinal
American Brandon Nakashima (seeded 28th) finally broke his Round of 16 curse at the Masters 1000 level. After going 0-for-5 in previous fourth-round appearances, Nakashima outlasted France’s Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-5 in a match disrupted by a two-hour rain delay at 4-4 in the decider.
Rinderknech fired 17 aces, but Nakashima responded with 16 of his own and scored the critical break late in the third set to earn a quarterfinal showdown against Italy’s Luciano Darderi (No. 19 seed), who eliminated Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Canadian Wild Cards Chan & Galarneau Beat Two More Grand Slam Champions
Canadian tennis fans at a packed Rogers Court erupted as wild cards Duncan Chan and Alexis Galarneau produced another shocker in men’s doubles.
After knocking off Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo earlier in the week, the Canadian duo ousted two more Grand Slam champions—Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Kevin Krawietz—with a thrilling 7-6(5), 7-6(3) victory. The pair, who weathered a two-hour rain delay at 5-5 in the opening set, showed incredible poise at the net to march into the quarterfinals.
Part 2: Women’s Action in Toronto – Sabalenka & Pegula Ousted; Swiatek Fights Back
Over at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, the Round of 16 delivered a chaotic day of results as major contenders fell on Centre Court.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka Stunned by Alexandrova
The biggest shockwave of the tournament arrived during Saturday’s night session as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was sent packing by 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in a dramatic three-set battle (7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4).
Sabalenka fought off two match points while serving at 4-5 in the deciding set, but double-faulted on the third match point to hand Alexandrova the biggest win of her season.
Diana Shnaider Eliminates Two-Time Champ Jessica Pegula
Earlier in the day, 15th seed Diana Shnaider produced a masterclass performance to knock out 3rd seed and two-time National Bank Open champion Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Shnaider, who lost to Pegula in the Toronto semifinals two years ago, got her revenge by breaking Pegula four times to advance.
Iga Swiatek & Elina Svitolina Battle Into Last Eight
- Iga Swiatek Rallies: 7th seed Iga Swiatek survived an erratic opening set—where she failed to hold serve in four attempts—to defeat 10th seed Marta Kostyuk 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Swiatek locked down her service games in the final two sets to reach the quarterfinals.
- Elina Svitolina Surges: 9th seed Elina Svitolina closed out the night session with a steady 6-2, 6-4 victory over 8th seed Amanda Anisimova, converting her second match point opportunity to secure her quarterfinal spot.
Breakthrough Watch: Alina Korneeva Prepares for Gauff Clash
Teen sensation Alina Korneeva generated substantial buzz around the grounds following her fourth-round breakthrough. The 19-year-old former junior World No. 1, who knocked off Emma Navarro and Iva Jovic in straight sets, spoke to media about her rapid transition to the WTA Tour ahead of her highly anticipated Centre Court clash against Coco Gauff.
Around the Grounds & Off-Court Highlights
- TennisFest & Retro Night: Sobeys Stadium came alive for Retro Night presented by Iris, with fans donning iconic 1990s tennis gear.
- Women in Sports Panel: A “Tennis Talk” panel featured Toronto Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull, Toronto Tempo owner Reetu Gupta, AFC Toronto CEO Helena Ruken, and Tennis Canada’s Terri Temelini discussing the booming growth of women’s professional sports in Canada.
- Montreal Fan Appreciation:Montreal announced that its TennisFest Weekend would close Sunday with Canadian Fan Appreciation Night, featuring a photo opportunity with PWHL Walter Cup champions Catherine Dubois, Jade Downie-Landry, and Alexandra Labelle.
Looking Ahead to Day 9
The Round of 16 reaches its fever pitch on Sunday, August 9, with blockbuster matchups in both Montreal and Toronto as players battle for the remaining quarterfinal tickets.
In Montreal (ATP)
- Centre Court Headliners: The day session kicks off with Tallon Griekspoor against Daniel Merida, followed by 12th seed Learner Tien clashing with Thiago Agustin Tirante. The night session features a mega-popcorn showdown as 19-year-old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca [22] collides with defending champion Ben Shelton [5], followed by Botic van de Zandschulp taking on 13th seed Jakub Mensik.
- Rogers Court Doubles: Indian-Kiwi pair Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus face Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti, followed by Czech pair Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Rikl clashing with 3rd seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
In Toronto (WTA)
- Centre Court Blockbusters: A star-studded day session begins with 2nd seed Elena Rybakina against Liudmila Samsonova, followed by 4th seed Coco Gauff facing teenage sensation Alina Korneeva. Under the night lights, Canadian No. 1 Leylah Annie Fernandez [30] takes on four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka [11] in a marquee duel, followed by Philippine star Alexandra Eala [25] clashing with 12th seed Belinda Bencic.
- Grandstand Doubles & Quarterfinals: Round of 16 doubles action features Erin Routliffe and Aldila Sutjiadi taking on Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls. High-stakes quarterfinal doubles follow, with 7th seeds Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs facing 3rd seeds Sara Errani and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, and 5th seeds Su-Wei Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko taking on Ann Li and Clara Tauson.
