2026 National Bank Open Day 2 Recap: Rain Delays Opening Matches

ByTennis Tour Calendar Posted on
2026 National Bank Open Day 2 Recap

The main draw of the 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers officially commenced on Sunday, August 2, but Mother Nature had other plans. Persistent rainstorms hit both Montreal and Toronto, causing significant schedule delays, suspended matches, and eventually forcing the cancellation of the evening sessions across both sites.

Despite the weather disruptions on court, the atmosphere around the venues remained vibrant. Thousands of dedicated tennis fans, Olympic stars, and top ATP and WTA players embraced the festivities of Family Weekend to make the most of a soggy Sunday.

Here is everything you need to know about Day 2 of the 2026 National Bank Open, from the brief match action on court to the special moments off it.

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Part 1: Men’s Action in Montreal – Thunderstorms Wash Out Main Draw Start

In Montreal, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the region, creating a difficult challenge for tournament organizers. Out of 14 scheduled first-round matches, only two were fully completed before heavy downpours forced play to a halt.

Completed Matches

  • Juncheng Shang (China) def. Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (Paraguay): Shang grabbed the distinction of winning the very first main draw match of the tournament. Playing on Court 9, the Chinese star dispatched Vallejo in clean straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in just under an hour and twenty minutes. Shang advances to face 10th-seeded Andrey Rublev in the second round.
  • Jaume Munar (Spain) def. Rinky Hijikata (Australia): During a brief break in the afternoon showers, Munar managed to seal a hard-fought 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Hijikata on Rogers Court. Munar moves into the round of 64 to take on 27th seed Alexander Blockx.
Completed Montreal Day 2 Matches:
• [PR] J. Shang (CHN) d. A. Vallejo (PAR) | 6-3, 6-3
• J. Munar (ESP) d. R. Hijikata (AUS)    | 7-6(3), 6-3

Suspended & Postponed Matches

Two additional matches were halted mid-play:

  • Portugal’s Nuno Borges led American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-7(6), 6-2, 0-0 (40-15) when the courts became unplayable.
  • American Michael Zheng and Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic were deadlocked after splitting the first two sets 6-4, 6-4 before play was suspended.

The entire Sunday night session—which was set to feature local Canadian favorites Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau—was cancelled. Tournament director Valérie Tétreault confirmed that 27 first-round matches will now be jammed into Monday’s schedule!

Part 2: Women’s Action in Toronto – Early Results Before the Downpour

Over at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, main-draw action got underway following a morning rain delay. Players managed to get several afternoon matches completed before heavy rain forced officials to call off the evening slate.

On-Court Headlines

  • Venus Williams Falls to Rakhimova: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams made her return to Toronto, competing in front of a supportive, packed crowd. However, her court struggles continued as she was defeated 6-4, 6-1 by Kamilla Rakhimova in an hour and 27 minutes.
  • Katherine Sebov Delivers Canadian High: 27-year-old Canadian Katherine Sebov provided the biggest home cheer of the day on Centre Court, putting together a commanding 6-3, 6-4 performance to eliminate Japan’s Aoi Ito in 1 hour and 24 minutes.
  • Ariana Arseneault Short: Canadian youngster Ariana Arseneault opened the day on Grandstand but was unable to overcome Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, falling 6-2, 6-4.
  • Other Completed Women’s Matches:
    • M. Uchijima (JPN) def. C. Bucsa (ESP) 6-3, 6-4
    • V. Golubic (SUI) def. K. Birrell (AUS) 7-6, 4-6, 7-6
    • C. Osorio (COL) def. L. Stefanini (ITA) 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
    • S. Bejlek (CZE) def. X. Wang (CHN) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Postponed Stars

Former Grand Slam champion Bianca Andreescu had her scheduled match against Nikola Bartunkova suspended due to the elements. Andreescu, along with fellow Canadian Cadence Brace, will now begin her tournament run on Monday.

Why Were So Many Matches Suspended?

Outdoor tennis requires completely dry hard-court surfaces to ensure player safety. When severe rain and thunderstorms hit both Montreal and Toronto simultaneously, courts quickly became slick and unsafe for movement.

Although tournament ground crews worked tirelessly with squeegees and dryers during breaks in the storm, repeating rainfall made drying efforts impossible, leaving organizers no choice but to push matches to Monday’s schedule to ensure player safety and preserve the tournament timetable.

Off-Court Magic: Bringing Sunshine to Rainy Grounds

While rain halted the action on court, both venues turned up the off-court entertainment as part of 407 ETR Family Weekend and IGA Family Weekend.

Montreal Off-Court Highlights

  • Player Fan Interactions: Italian star Flavio Cobolli hosted a morning yoga session with fans, Brazilian prodigy Joao Fonseca played mini-tennis with young fans, and Alexander Blockx spent time with the National Bank Little Aces.
  • K-Pop & Beats: K-Pop performances made their debut at the National Bank Open with an energetic indoor show, while DJ Antonin kept energy high for Teen Night.
  • Olympic Guests: Canadian Olympians Danaé Blais, Florence Brunelle, Jordan Pierre-Gilles, and Courtney Sarault visited IGA Stadium to meet fans and enjoy the grounds.

Toronto Off-Court Highlights

  • Olympic Gold Presence: Canadian hockey icon Sarah Nurse visited Sobeys Stadium for a packed autograph session.
  • Tennis Talk Panel: Head of Women’s Tennis for Tennis Canada, Noelle van Lottum, was joined on stage by 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic medalist Megan Oldham for an inspiring panel discussion on elite athletic representation.
  • VIP Entertainment: Indoor K-Pop performances gave fans in the VIP lounge plenty to cheer for during the worst of the downpours.

What’s Ahead: A Super Monday in Store!

With Sunday’s backlog added to Monday’s slate, fans are in for an incredible bumper day of world-class tennis on August 3.

  • In Montreal: 27 first-round matches are scheduled, featuring Canadian stars Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau, alongside international stars Jack Draper, Matteo Berrettini, Gael Monfils, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Marin Cilic.
  • In Toronto: Bianca Andreescu takes center stage alongside the remaining first-round WTA matches.

Be sure to tune in early as play gets underway across all courts!