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.
We’re starting with the cream of the crop, the Top 10 players in the world, who will be the top contenders for this year’s title.
*Rankings & records are as of July 3, 2023
Iga Swiatek
Age: 22
Current Ranking: 1
NBO Appearance: 3rd
Best NBO Result: Round of 16 (2019 & 2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Round of 16 (2022)
2023 Record: 38-6
Iga will be making her first visit to Montreal this summer and the Pole will be arriving full of confidence after capturing her fourth Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros. She also won the trophies in Doha and Stuttgart and has proven herself to be one of the most dominant World No. 1s in recent history. Her all-court game, precision, and impeccable movement make her matches a must-see.
Aryna Sabalenka
Age: 25
Current Ranking: 2
NBO Appearance: 5th
Best NBO Result: Semifinals (2021)
Most Recent NBO Result: Round of 16 (2022)
2023 Record: 35-7
Aryna is all power all the time and she’s learned to harness her forceful groundstrokes to great effect this season. She has firmly established herself as the second-best player in the world and her budding rivalry with Swiatek is one of the WTA’s top storylines in 2023. She broke through to take home her first Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open at the start of the year in addition to claiming titles in Adelaide and Madrid. She was a semifinalist the last time she visited Montreal in 2021.
Elena Rybakina
Age: 24
Current Ranking: 3
NBO Appearance: 3rd
Best NBO Result: Second Round (2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Second Round (2022)
2023 Record: 31-8
Elena completes the WTA’s new ‘Big Three’ alongside Swiatek and Sabalenka. While her personality is quiet and unassuming, her game certainly packs a punch. She surprised more than a few when she won the Wimbledon crown last year, her first Major, and has since carried that momentum to two more big titles in Indian Wells and Rome this season. The talented Kazakh will be looking to make a similar run in Montreal at a tournament where she has yet to really make a name for herself.
Jessica Pegula
Age: 24
Current Ranking: 4
NBO Appearance: 4th
Best NBO Result: Semifinals (2021 and 2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Semifinals (2022)
2023 Record: 29-6
Jessica is a familiar face to tennis fans in Quebec having previously competed in tournaments across the province in Granby, Quebec City, and Saguenay on her way to becoming a Top 5 player. Her consecutive semifinal appearances at the National Bank Open are proof that she feels at home on our Canadian courts. The American has become a model of consistency and a stalwart at the top of the women’s game.
READ: THE BEST OF TENNIS BACK IN ACTION AT THE NATIONAL BANK OPEN PRESENTED BY ROGERS
Did you know that her parents, Kim and Terry Pegula, own the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres? To her credit, Jessica has managed to carve her own impressive path in sports away from her parents’ shadow with talent, hard work, and perseverance.
Caroline Garcia
Age: 29
Current Ranking: 5
NBO Appearance: 10th
Best NBO Result: Quarter-finals (2017 and 2018)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 25-14
Caroline is one of two veterans inside the WTA’s Top 10 alongside Petra Kvitova. She made her first appearance at the National Bank Open in 2013 and has played the tournament every year since so it’s no wonder that the Montreal crowd quickly adopts her as one of their own. Not to mention that she also speaks French which makes the connection even stronger. She’s playing the best tennis of her career in her late twenties and reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open last year in addition to winning four titles, including the prestigious WTA Finals.
Coco Gauff
Age: 19
Current Ranking: 7
NBO Appearance: 3rd
Best NBO Result: Quarter-finals (2021 and 2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Quarter-finals (2022)
2023 Record: 27-11
She’s still just 19, but Coco has already accomplished so much on the WTA Tour. In 2022, she reached her first Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros and has quickly proven herself to be a Top 10 player. Her athleticism and talent are undeniable and she’s mature beyond her years. Coco is also a great doubles player and makes up one half of a formidable duo on the Tour with her American compatriot Jessica Pegula.
Maria Sakkari
Age: 27
Current Ranking: 8
NBO Appearance: 5th
Best NBO Result: Round of 16 (2021 and 2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: Round of 16 (2022)
2023 Record: 24-13
Maria continues to make history for Greece. In 2021, she became the first Greek woman to crack the Top 10 and the first player from her country to qualify for the prestigious WTA Finals.
READ: WTA MOMS CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ON AND OFF THE COURT
That same season she also reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros and the U.S. Open. This year, she’s already reached five semifinals.
Petra Kvitova
Age: 33
Current Ranking: 9
NBO Appearance: 14th
Best NBO Result: Champion (2012)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 22-7
It’s hard to believe that Petra has been coming to the National Bank Open since 2008 and that it’s already been 11 years since she lifted the trophy in Montreal after defeating Na Li in the final. She’s been turning back the clock this season with a pair of titles in Miami and Berlin to bring her career total to 31. She still hits the ball as flat and hard as anyone on Tour and her lefty serve is a real weapon.
Daria Kasatkina
Age: 26
Current Ranking: 10
NBO Appearance: 7th
Best NBO Result: Quarter-finals (2016)
Most Recent NBO Result: First Round (2022)
2023 Record: 19-15
Did you know that Daria was crowned champion of the WTA 125 series tournament in Granby, Quebec last year? She’ll be hoping for the same kind of success when she returns to the province for the National Bank Open in Montreal. This season, she’s already reached two finals in Adelaide before the Australian Open and in Eastbourne before Wimbledon. In 2022, she became a Grand Slam semifinalist for the first time at Roland-Garros.
