2024 National Bank Open Toronto Players: Meet…

In just under one month’s time, the WTA Tour will land in Toronto for the 2024 National Bank Open.

The initial player list was released on Wednesday, July 10 and includes 43 of the Top 44 players in the WTA rankings. For the next three weeks, we will be highlighting players who are expected to be competing in Toronto at the beginning of August.

This week, let’s meet the Top 10 players in the WTA Rankings.

Iga Swiatek

Age: 23
Current Ranking: 1
Career-High: 1
NBO Appearance: 4th
Best NBO Result: SF (2023)
Most Recent NBO Result: SF (2023)
2024 Record: 45-4
Career NBO Record: 6-3

The world No. 1’s first-ever main-draw appearance at a WTA 1000 event came in Toronto back in 2019 when, as a qualifier, she got to the third round.

In three trips to Canada, Swiatek has never failed to reach the last sixteen. Her best result was last year in Montreal when she got to the semifinals, losing to the eventual champion Jessica Pegula.

The Pole already has four WTA 1000 titles to her name in 2024, including two on hard courts.

At the recommendation of her sports psychologist, Swiatek plays the ukelele.

Coco Gauff

Age: 20
Current Ranking: 2
Career-High: 2
NBO Appearance: 4th
Best NBO Result: QF (3 Times)
Most Recent NBO Result: QF
2024 Record: 32-10
Career NBO Record: 7-3

The reigning US Open champion has been very consistent in Canada, reaching the quarter-finals in all three of her appearances at the Canadian event. The National Bank Open is one of two WTA 1000 tournaments where Gauff has competed more than once and has never failed to reach the last eight.

Gauff’s last trip to Toronto was historic for the young American, but not in singles. Her doubles victory saw her ascend to the No. 1 doubles ranking for the first time.

Watch out in 2025 when the WTA returns to Montreal, the American is learning to speak French!

Aryna Sabalenka

Age: 26
Current Ranking: 3
Career-High: 1
NBO Appearance: 6th
Best NBO Result: SF (2021)
Most Recent NBO Result: R3
2024 Record: 30-9
Career NBO Record: 7-5

Sabalenka started the year on a high note by defending her Australian Open title. While she has not lifted another trophy since, she has been very consistent, having reached the quarter-finals or better at the last five events she has played.

When healthy and on her game, Sabalenka is arguably the best hard-court player on the WTA Tour with her massive serve and groundstrokes. The only question mark is a shoulder injury that forced her to skip Wimbledon.

The two-time major champion loves pancakes.

Sabalenka will play her first match in Toronto on Thursday night. Get your tickets now!

Elena Rybakina

Age: 25
Current Ranking: 4
Career-High: 3
NBO Appearance: 4th
Best NBO Result: SF (2023)
Most Recent NBO Result: SF
2024 Record: 35-7
Career NBO Record: 4-3

Rybakina should be arriving in Canada with confidence coming off a deep run at Wimbledon and had her best performance at the National Bank Open in 2023, reaching the semifinals. She has been wildly consistent in 2024, reaching the quarter-finals or better in 11 of 12 tournaments, the lone exception being the Australian Open in January.

Like Sabalenka, the Kazakhstani’s game is well-suited to the quick hard courts of Sobeys Stadium. In her last appearance, she was unseeded and lost a thriller to Gauff in round two. Rybakina will be in a much better position to succeed this year.

As a kid, Rybakina also trained in gymnastics and ice skating but had to quit because she grew too tall.

Jessica Pegula

Age: 30
Current Ranking: 5
Career-High: 3
NBO Appearance: 4th
Best NBO Result: Champion (2023)
Most Recent NBO Result: Champion
2024 Record: 19-8
Career NBO Record: 12-2

No one in the 2024 field has been more consistent at the National Bank Open post-COVID than the reigning champion, Jessica Pegula. In the last three years, she is the only player to have reached the semifinals every time, winning it all last year.

While it has been a down year for the Buffalo native, a trip across the Niagara River may be just what she needs. Of the 1000 events that she has played multiple times, she has her highest winning percentage in Canada.

Pegula and her husband founded a charity that rescues dogs and helps train them to be service animals.

Marketa Vondrousova

Age: 25
Current Ranking: 6
Career-High: 6
NBO Appearance: 2nd
Best NBO Result: R3 (2023)
Most Recent NBO Result: R3
2024 Record: 16-10
Career NBO Record: 2-1

Vondrousova had not made an appearance in Canada until after she won her first major title. That was last year when she arrived in Montreal fresh off becoming the first unseeded woman ever to win Wimbledon. The Czech got to the third round, losing to Gauff.

2024 has not been kind to Vondrousova. She has shown flashes of her top level, reaching the Roland-Garros quarter-finals, but recently became the first defending champion this century to lose in the first round at the All England Club.

The Czech collects shoes and reportedly owns over 200 pairs.

Jasmine Paolini

Age: 28
Current Ranking: 7
Career-High: 7
NBO Appearance: 2nd
Best NBO Result: R3 (2023)
Most Recent NBO Result: R3
2024 Record: 24-12
Career NBO Record: 1-1

Who saw Jasmine Paolini’s 2024 breakout coming?

The veteran Italian entered the season barely inside the Top 30 but has been on a tear this year, winning her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai, reaching her first major final at Roland-Garros, and having another deep run at Wimbledon.

Paolini has proven herself to be an all-surface threat this season with her stellar movement and bold returning.

Unsurprisingly, her favourite cuisine is from her home nation of Italy. Her go-to is a classic Margherita pizza.

Qinwen Zheng

Age: 21
Current Ranking: 8
Career-High: 7
NBO Appearance: 3rd
Best NBO Result: QF (2022)
Most Recent NBO Result: R2
2024 Record: 19-11
Career NBO Record: 4-2

The rising Chinese star announced herself to the world the last time the WTA Tour passed through Toronto, reaching her first WTA 1000 quarter-final at the NBO at just 19 years old.

Earlier this season, Zheng had another breakthrough when she reached her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. She also has a couple of WTA 1000 quarter-finals to her name in 2024.

At her first major, the 2022 Australian Open, she admitted she was too shy to ask Rafael Nadal for a photo and would only do so once she improved as a player.

Maria Sakkari

Age: 28
Current Ranking: 9
Career-High: 3
NBO Appearance: 6th
Best NBO Result: R3 (Twice)
Most Recent NBO Result: R2
2024 Record: 19-12
Career NBO Record: 3-5

So far in 2024, Sakkari has played her best tennis in North America, reaching the final of Indian Wells, the quarter-finals in Miami, and the semifinals in Charleston. She will be hoping that a return to this content can spark her game after a tough run in Europe over the last few months.

The Canadian WTA 1000 event has been a tough one over the years for Sakkari, although she matched her best result the last time she came to Toronto. She should be able to count on crowd support from the city’s large Greek population.

Sakkari loves coffee and reportedly will drink up to six espressos in a day.

Ons Jabeur

Age: 29
Current Ranking: 10
Career-High: 2
NBO Appearance: 3rd
Best NBO Result: QF (2021)
Most Recent NBO Result: R2
2024 Record: 14-12
Career NBO Record: 3-2

In a weird twist, the 29-year-old Tunisian has never played a completed main-draw match in Toronto.

She will only be making her second appearance in Canada’s largest city. Back in 2022, she retired in the second round (after a bye) against Zheng. Her only other trip to Toronto was for qualifying in 2019.

The WTA’s Minister of Happiness struggled with injury at the start of the year but has been playing better of late, reaching the quarter-finals at four of her last five events, including Roland-Garros, prior to Wimbledon.

After reaching the Wimbledon final in 2022, Jabeur was featured on a postal stamp in her home country.

*Note: Entry Rankings, which are the rankings included here, and statistics are as of July 1. Rankings can change prior to the start of play at the National Bank Open in August. Player list is subject to player withdrawals. Inclusion on the player list is not a guarantee that the player will compete.

The WTA's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open August 4 to 12 at Sobeys Stadium. Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Patrice Beriault