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.
So far, we’ve introduced the Top 10 and the Canadians now it’s time to get reacquainted with some of the familiar faces who will be returning for this year’s tournament.
Belinda Bencic
Age: 26
Current Ranking: 15
NBO Appearance: 4th
Best NBO Result: Champion (2015)
Most Recent NBO Result: Quarter-finals (2022)
2023 Record: 23-8
Belinda was crowned National Bank Open champion in 2015 at just 19 years of age to cap a Cinderella run that included victories over Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, and Simona Halep in the final. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist will be making her first visit to Montreal after three appearances in Toronto. She’s won two WTA titles this season in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi to bring her career total to seven.
Beatriz Haddad Maia
Age: 27
Current Ranking: 13
NBO Appearance: 2nd
Best NBO Result: Finalist (2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Finalist (2022)
2023 Record: 25-14
Beatriz enjoyed quite the National Bank Open debut in 2022 by reaching the Toronto final following wins over the likes World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Belinda Bencic, and Karolina Pliskova. She’ll make her first trip to Montreal on the heels of reaching her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at Roland-Garros in the spring, a result which allowed her to become the first Brazilian to crack the Top 10 on the WTA rankings. Last season, she won the first two singles titles of her career, at WTA 250 tournaments in Nottingham and Birmingham in back-to-back weeks.
Elina Svitolina
Age: 28
Current Ranking: 27
NBO Appearance: 7th
Best NBO Result: Champion (2017)
Most Recent NBO Result: Second Round (2021)
2023 Record: 17-9
Elina is one of tennis’ most inspiring stories this season. Her return to the court after giving birth to her daughter Skaï has been nothing short of remarkable. She’s 17-9 on the year with one title in Strasbourg and is already ranked inside the top 30 after just ten tournament appearances which also includes incredible runs to the Wimbledon semifinals and the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros. The Ukrainian lifted the champion’s trophy at the 2017 National Bank Open in Toronto thanks to victories over Daria Kasatkina, Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep, and Caroline Wozniacki.
Marketa Vondrousova
Age: 24
Current Ranking: 10
NBO Appearance: 1st
Best NBO Result: Tournament Debut (2023)
Most Recent NBO Result: Tournament Debut (2023)
2023 Record: 29-10
Marketa shocked the tennis world in early July when she became the first unseeded player to win the ladies’ singles title at Wimbledon, her first Major. In doing so, she joined the long list of great Czech WTA champions and made her Top 10 debut in the process. It’s easy to forget that the All England Club was the site of her second Grand Slam final after finishing as the runner-up at Roland-Garros in 2019. While Marketa is a familiar face on Tour now, she isn’t yet to Canadian fans since she’ll be making her NBO debut this year in Montreal and what a way to do it as the current Wimbledon champion.
Venus Williams
Age: 43
Current Ranking: 521
NBO Appearance: 12th
Best NBO Result: Finalist (2014)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 2-4
At 43 years of age, Venus continues to prove that she is an ageless wonder. She’s returning to IGA Stadium this summer, nine years after a memorable run to the final in her Montreal debut in 2014 which included a win over sister Serena in the semifinals. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is approaching the finish line of her legendary career which makes this occasion all the more special. Not to mention that she always held the city and the tournament in the highest regard.
Caroline Wozniacki
Age: 33
Current Ranking: N/A
NBO Appearance: 12th
Best NBO Result: Champion (2010)
Most Recent NBO Result: Second Round (2019)
2023 Record: 0-0
Caroline, now a mom of two, will begin her much-anticipated comeback to the WTA Tour in Montreal, which isn’t surprising considering how much success she has enjoyed at the National Bank Open. Her shining moment at IGA Stadium came 13 years ago when she took home the title at the end of a rain-filled championship weekend. It was her first Premier 5 title and one of six tournaments she won in 2010. Her prowess on Canadian soil continued from then on. The former World No. 1 made the final in Toronto in 2017 when she finished runner-up to Elina Svitolina and was a semifinalist again in Montreal in 2012 as well as a quarterfinalist in 2014. We can’t wait to welcome her back with open arms.
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