On Thursday, Tennis Canada released the list of players who will be competing in the qualifying draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal.
On Thursday, Tennis Canada released the list of players who will be competing in the qualifying draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal. With eight spots in the main draw on the line, 28 WTA players, including Canadians Eugenie Bouchard, Katherine Sebov, and Carol Zhao, will take part in the preliminary event held at IGA Stadium on August 5 and 6 during the IGA Family Weekend in association with Maple Leaf Foods and VIA Rail Canada.
Last week, the tournament revealed its player list for the main draw, which consisted of 41 of the top 44 players on the WTA Tour. The strong line-up announced for the qualifying draw only adds to the excitement, as tennis enthusiasts can look forward to witnessing world-class tennis from the beginning of the qualifying rounds up until championship Sunday.
The field features 31-year-old Camila Giorgi (No. 50) of Italy, who claimed the biggest title of her career at the 2021 edition of the National Bank Open in Montreal, defeating fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova of Czechia in the finals. Other top names vying for a spot in the main draw are Americans Danielle Collins (No. 48) and Sofia Kenin (No. 91). Kenin, a 2020 Australian Open titlist, looks to be getting back to her top form, recently qualifying for the main draw of Wimbledon before falling in the third round to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. Further adding to the intrigue of the qualifying rounds are 18-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova of Czechia and 19-year-old American Ashlyn Krueger, who reached career-high rankings last month of No. 49 and No. 108, respectively.
In addition to these players, Canadian fans will get the chance to cheer on homegrown talent, as Eugenie Bouchard (No. 212), Katherine Sebov (No. 160), and Carol Zhao (No. 233) have received wild cards to compete in the qualifiers.
- Bouchard, who currently holds her highest ranking since October 2021, has nine wins on the season and reached the second round of the 1000-level event in Madrid. The Montrealer will be making her long-awaited return to the National Bank Open, playing the event for the first time since 2019.
- Sebov is enjoying a great 2023 campaign, qualifying for her first Grand Slam main draw and winning an ITF W25 event in her home city of Toronto. She also represented Canada in April at the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers.
- Zhao made her first main-draw appearance at a Grand Slam last month with a great performance at Wimbledon. The Toronto native, who is still looking for her first title this season, reached the semi-finals of the ITF W60 event in Fukuoka, Japan, in May.
The final wild card for the qualifying round will be awarded to the winner of the pre-qualifying event held from July 30 to August 4. Going head-to-head for the last remaining spot in the qualifiers are 16 of Canada’s best up-and-coming players. The last match will coincide with the first day of the IGA Family Weekend, meaning the site will be open for all fans to enjoy.
Click here to see the full list of players scheduled to take part in the 2023 National Bank Open qualifying draw.
IGA Family Weekend in association with Maple Leaf Foods and VIA Rail Canada
IGA Family Weekend is back for the 2023 National Bank Open presented by Rogers with plenty of fun activities for people of all age groups. From August 4 to 6, catch a glimpse of your favourite players on the practice courts, watch the qualifying matches, and enjoy an array of exciting activations happening on the grounds of IGA Stadium.
To find out more about the IGA Family Weekend and to redeem your free passes, click here.
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