WTA Toronto 2026: National Bank Open Entry List & Star Matchups
The summer tennis season is heating up, and tennis fans around the world are getting ready for one of the biggest events of the year. The 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers (NBO) has officially revealed its player entry list for the women’s tournament in Toronto.
This prestigious tournament, which is part of the WTA 1000 series, is known for bringing together the absolute best talent in women’s tennis. The 2026 edition is proving to be no different. According to the official announcement by Tennis Canada, an incredible 72 of the WTA Tour’s Top 75 players are locked in to compete.
The tournament will take place at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, running from August 1 to August 13, 2026. Thanks to the tournament’s expanded 12-day format, fans will have even more days to watch high-level tennis matches, enjoy the beautiful summer weather, and see their favorite athletes battle it out on the hard courts.
Please Read: ATP Montreal 2026: National Bank Open Entry List & Star Lineup
The Big Stars Headlining the Event
The 2026 field features an outstanding line-up, including 12 Grand Slam champions and nine of the top 10 players in the PIF WTA Rankings.
The Top Three Seeds
Leading the pack is the current World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion, Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka is making her seventh appearance in Canada and enters the tournament as a heavy favorite.
Right behind her are two incredibly strong competitors:
- Elena Rybakina (World No. 2): Rybakina has had a fantastic year, having captured her second career Grand Slam title earlier in 2026 at the Australian Open.
- Iga Swiatek (World No. 3): The six-time Grand Slam champion is always a dominant force on any surface and will be looking to add a Canadian title to her long list of achievements.
More Top 10 Powerhouses
The star power does not stop at the top three. Fans in Toronto will also get to see:
- Mirra Andreeva: The young sensation who shocked the world by winning the 2026 Roland-Garros title.
- Coco Gauff: The two-time Grand Slam winner and crowd favorite who brings incredible speed and athleticism to the court.
- Karolina Muchova: Known for her varied and beautiful style of play.
- Amanda Anisimova: The 2024 NBO runner-up who loves playing in Canada.
Past Champions Return to Toronto
Toronto has a rich history of crown champions, and four former winners are returning this year to try and lift the trophy once again.
Jessica Pegula’s Title Defense
American star Jessica Pegula enters the tournament as the defending Toronto champion. Pegula has enjoyed amazing success in Canada, winning back-to-back NBO titles in 2023 and 2024. She is already having a strong 2026 season, having claimed her fourth WTA 1000 title earlier this year at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships by defeating Elina Svitolina.
Svitolina and Bencic
- Elina Svitolina: The 2017 NBO champion is having a wonderful resurgence in 2026. She recently won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, marking her first WTA 1000 title in eight years.
- Belinda Bencic: The Swiss star, who won the Toronto title back in 2015 as a teenager, is also back in the main draw.
Homegrown Heroes and Wild Cards
For Canadian tennis fans, the most exciting news involves the tournament wild cards.
Bianca Andreescu Returns Home
Mississauga native Bianca Andreescu has been awarded a main-draw wild card. Andreescu made history in 2019 when she won the National Bank Open, an unforgettable week that launched her into global superstardom before she won the US Open later that year.
Expressing her excitement, Andreescu shared:
“Returning to these courts always brings back wonderful memories of 2019, which was one of the most unforgettable weeks of my career. Playing on home soil is a true privilege, and the atmosphere created by Canadian fans is truly unmatched.”
The Living Legend: Venus Williams
Joining Andreescu as a wild card entry is seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams. The American legend, who was the NBO runner-up back in 2014, continues to inspire fans globally and will surely draw a massive crowd to Sobeys Stadium.
Other Canadian Talent
Laval’s Leylah Annie Fernandez will also be in the main draw, making her eighth appearance at the tournament. Known for her fiery spirit and fight, Fernandez always brings incredible energy when playing in front of her home crowd.
Heartbreak for the Defending Champion
While the entry list is packed with stars, there is one major piece of sad news for Canadian tennis fans. Last year’s champion, Canada’s own Victoria Mboko, was forced to withdraw from the tournament.
Mboko, who currently sits at World No. 10, suffered a severe knee injury (an MCL injury) at the Queen’s Club during the grass-court season in June.
In a moving Instagram post, Mboko expressed her sadness:
“The National Bank Open means everything to me. Not being able to play at home this summer in front of the people I love and with the support of the Toronto crowd is deeply disappointing… I will be back!”
Because of Mboko’s withdrawal, Mexico’s Renata Zarazua has moved up into the main draw to take her place.
Young Rising Stars to Watch
The 2026 National Bank Open will not just feature established veterans; it will also be a showcase for the future of women’s tennis. Three players under the age of 22 are highly anticipated to make waves in the tournament:
- Linda Noskova: The Czech youngster who has already proven she can beat the best players in the world.
- Iva Jovic: A rising American star making rapid progress on the WTA tour.
- Alexandra Eala: The talented young player from the Philippines who is gaining fans worldwide with her excellent court movement.
Complete Entry List (Direct Entrants & Key Wild Cards)
The 96-player tournament draw features 72 direct entrants, 16 qualifiers who will fight through the preliminary rounds, and 8 wild cards.
Here is the officially released list of top direct entries and notable wild cards:
| Seed/Entry No. | Player Name | Country |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | – |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | KAZ |
| 3 | Iga Swiatek | POL |
| 4 | Jessica Pegula | USA |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva | – |
| 6 | Amanda Anisimova | USA |
| 7 | Coco Gauff | USA |
| 8 | Elina Svitolina | UKR |
| 9 | Karolina Muchova | CZE |
| 11 | Belinda Bencic | SUI |
| 12 | Linda Noskova | CZE |
| 13 | Marta Kostyuk | UKR |
| 14 | Naomi Osaka | JPN |
| 15 | Diana Shnaider | – |
| 16 | Iva Jovic | USA |
| 17 | Jasmine Paolini | ITA |
| 18 | Sorana Cirstea | ROU |
| 19 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | – |
| 20 | Anna Kalinskaya | – |
| 21 | Maja Chwalinska | POL |
| 22 | Madison Keys | USA |
| 23 | Marie Bouzkova | CZE |
| 24 | Leylah Annie Fernandez | CAN |
| 25 | Clara Tauson | DEN |
| 26 | Emma Navarro | USA |
| 27 | Elise Mertens | BEL |
| 28 | Anastasia Potapova | AUT |
| 29 | Ann Li | USA |
| 31 | Jelena Ostapenko | LAT |
| 32 | Alexandra Eala | PHI |
| 34 | Donna Vekic | CRO |
| 35 | Cristina Bucsa | ESP |
| 36 | Katerina Siniakova | CZE |
| 37 | Jaqueline Cristian | ROU |
| 38 | Barbora Krejcikova | CZE |
| 39 | Xinyu Wang | CHN |
| 40 | Laura Siegemund | GER |
| 41 | Liudmila Samsonova | – |
| 42 | Janice Tjen | INA |
| 43 | Maria Sakkari | GRE |
| 44 | Magdalena Frech | POL |
| 45 | Sara Bejlek | CZE |
| 46 | Elisabetta Cocciaretto | ITA |
| 47 | Petra Marcinko | CRO |
| 48 | Nikola Bartunkova | CZE |
| 49 | Diane Parry | FRA |
| 50 | Caty McNally | USA |
| 51 | Zeynep Sonmez | TUR |
| 52 | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | ESP |
| 53 | Oleksandra Oliynykova | UKR |
| 54 | Tereza Valentova | CZE |
| 55 | Yuliia Starodubtseva | UKR |
| 56 | Solana Sierra | ARG |
| 57 | McCartney Kessler | USA |
| 58 | Talia Gibson | AUS |
| 59 | Magda Linette | POL |
| 60 | Katie Boulter | GBR |
| 61 | Antonia Ruzic | CRO |
| 62 | Viktorija Golubic | SUI |
| 63 | Peyton Stearns | USA |
| 64 | Shuai Zhang | CHN |
| 65 | Daria Kasatkina | AUS |
| 66 | Anhelina Kalinina | UKR |
| 68 | Camila Osorio | COL |
| 69 | Panna Udvardy | HUN |
| 70 | Kamilla Rakhimova | UZB |
| 71 | Elena-Gabriela Ruse | ROU |
| 72 | Kimberly Birrell | AUS |
| 73 | Karolina Pliskova | CZE |
| 74 | Anna Bondar | HUN |
| 75 | Renata Zarazua | MEX |
| 76 | Eva Lys | GER |
| 180 (WC) | Bianca Andreescu | CAN |
| 471 (WC) | Venus Williams | USA |
(Note: Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu was originally on the entry list but has officially withdrawn from the tournament. Anna Bondar is the final player to gain direct entry into the main draw, while Eva Lys leads the alternate list).
Important Tournament Dates and Format
The tournament is structured to give fans maximum tennis action over nearly two weeks. Here are the key dates to remember:
- Friday, July 31 (12:00 p.m. ET): The official Draw Ceremony. This will determine the exact brackets and potential matchups. Fans can watch it live on the tournament’s official media channels.
- Sunday, August 2: The main-draw tournament play officially begins at Sobeys Stadium.
- Tuesday, August 4 & Wednesday, August 5: The top 32 seeded players, who receive a special first-round “bye” (meaning they do not have to play in the first round), will play their opening matches in round two.
- Thursday, August 13: The tournament concludes with the thrilling championship final.
Supporting Tennis Growth in Canada
While the National Bank Open is an incredible entertainment event for fans, it also serves a bigger purpose for the local community. Tournament Director Karl Hale noted that the net proceeds from the tournament are fully reinvested by Tennis Canada. This money goes directly toward funding grass-roots programs, building new tennis courts, and helping young Canadian kids get into the sport.
With elite tennis stars, home-crowd favorites, legendary icons, and exciting young prodigies all converging on Toronto, the 2026 National Bank Open promises to be an unforgettable showcase of athletic excellence. Be sure to grab your tickets early to witness history in the making!