The entry lists for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers have been revealed. Now it’s time to get to know the WTA players who will be hitting the courts at IGA Stadium from August 4-13 in Montreal.
Last week, we introduced the Top 10, now it’s time to get to know the six Canadians who have been awarded main draw and qualifying wild cards for this year’s tournament.
Bianca Andreescu
Age: 23
Current Ranking: 44
NBO Appearance: 7th
Best NBO Result: Champion (2019)
Most Recent NBO Result: Third Round (2022)
2023 Record: 15-14
It seems like yesterday that Bianca was taking the tennis world by storm in 2019, winning Indian Wells, Toronto, and the U.S. Open to become the first Canadian to capture a Grand Slam singles title. She achieved a career-high ranking of no. 4 in October of that year, but it’s been a tough road to get back to the top of the game where she belongs. She’s shown flashes of her talent and brilliance this season, including a run to the Round of 16 in Miami before a scary ankle injury derailed her chances. She’s since reached the third round at both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon for the first time. Our former champion is due for a great result and what better place to get it than on home soil with the fans cheering her every shot.
Leylah Annie Fernandez
Age: 20
Current Ranking: 86
NBO Appearance: 5th
Best NBO Result: Second Round (2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Second Round (2022)
2023 Record: 17-14
It’s going to be a special homecoming for Leylah in Montreal this year as she returns to the city where she was born. She is very familiar with the courts at IGA Stadium and is looking forward to playing in front of a full house for the first time. In 2018, the last time the women were welcomed by capacity crowds, Leylah was playing in qualifying on Court 5. What a journey she’s been on since then to become a Grand Slam finalist at the U.S. Open in 2021 and achieve a career-best ranking of no. 13 in August of last year. She’s also become quite a doubles specialist this season alongside Taylor Townsend with the pair reaching the final at Miami and Roland-Garros. Just one more reason for the fans to support their local hero as she strives to give us all a week to remember.
Rebecca Marino
Age: 32
Current Ranking: 88
NBO Appearance: 8th
Best NBO Result: Third Round (2021)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 13-17
Rebecca’s story is an inspiring one and the second chapter of her tennis career is a lesson in strength and perseverance. The last time the WTA visited Montreal, she advanced to the third round thanks to victories over Paula Badosa and Madison Keys before falling to eventual semifinalist Aryna Sabalenka. In 2022, she reached the third round at the U.S. Open to equal the best Grand Slam showing of her career. She also made the quarter-finals in Chennai and Washington as well as the semifinals at the WTA 125 event in Tampico. Did you know that Rebecca joined the rowing team at the University of British Colum after stepping away from tennis in 2013?
Katherine Sebov
Age: 24
Current Ranking: 139
NBO Appearance: 6th
Best NBO Result: First Round (2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 16-9
Katherine has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the WTA Tour in 2023. She made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the Australian Open in January after successfully playing her way through qualifying. She did the same in Charleston and Miami where she reached the second round before falling to Jessica Pegula. Katherine made her NBO main draw debut in Toronto last year, but before that, she played a few famous names in the qualifying of her home tournament including former World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in 2017 and former Roland-Garros finalist Lucie Safarova in 2018.
READ: 2023 NATIONAL BANK OPEN MONTREAL PLAYERS: MEET THE WTA TOP 10
Eugenie Bouchard
Age: 29
Current Ranking: 216
NBO Appearance: 13th
Best NBO Result: Third Round (2016)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2019)
2023 Record: 9-8
It’s been three years since Genie last played in her home tournament and five years since the former World No. 5 stepped foot on the courts she grew up playing on in Montreal. She came back to tennis in August of 2022 after undergoing shoulder surgery which prevented her from competing for 17 months. In April, she qualified for the main draw in Madrid and advanced to the second round. She also reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 125 event on clay in Florence.
Genie’s remarkable 2014 season, which included a Wimbledon final and two other Grand Slam semifinals, may seem like a distant memory, but the fans in Montreal are known to be nostalgic and will also fondly recall her memorable 2016 run to the third round at IGA Stadium. Her return is long overdue and you can bet she’ll be made to feel right at home as though she never left.
Carol Zhao
Age: 28
Current Ranking: 242
NBO Appearance: 12th
Best NBO Result: First Round (2013, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 16-19
Carol achieved a great career milestone at Wimbledon this year, qualifying for her first Grand Slam main draw at the All England Club in impressive fashion. It’s been a long time coming for the former NCAA standout at Stanford University who has been working tirelessly on the pro circuit since graduation. She reached a career-high ranking of no. 131 in 2018 and is also a loyal member of Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup team. As a junior, she won the 2013 Australian Open girls’ doubles title alongside Ana Konjuh.
Related news
