Four Things We Learned at the 2024 National Bank Open in Toronto

Before we put the tournament to rest for another year, let’s look at some of the key takeaways from 2024.

Jessica Pegula Among the Best

For the past few seasons, few have been as consistent as Jessica Pegula. This has been on full display each of the last four years here in Canada as Pegula, who hails from nearby Buffalo, made the semifinals in 2021 and 2022 and hoisted the trophy in 2023 in Montreal and now 2024 in Toronto.

Pegula is now 17-2 in main draw matches at the tournament and is the first back-to-back winner in Canada since Martina Hingis did the same in 1999 and 2000.

Pegula made her way to the finals without dropping a set and looked stronger with each subsequent match. Amanda Anisimova made her work hard in the final, where she needed three sets to claim victory 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. She’s maintained a spot in the Top 10 of the WTA rankings consistently since May of 2022 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Read also: Diana Shnaider Continues 2024 Breakout with Upset of Gauff

Speaking after her victory on Monday, Pegula shared the mentality she takes with her onto the court in each match.

“I think I always approach every match as it’s going to be a really tough match… I don’t think I take any match lightly. The depth right now is really good, so I know that every day, no matter how well you’re playing or what the ranking is, that someone can beat you on any given day. I think I always kind of have maybe a little bit of an underdog mentality, no matter who I’m playing.”

Americans on the Rise

It was quite the tournament for players south of the border, as the United States was represented by five of the eight singles quarter-finalists this year in Toronto.

Read also: Anisimova Keeps Making Strides

“It’s been awesome. I feel like we’ve been really strong,” said Pegula about American depth on the women’s tour. “For the last few years the depth has been really good. It’s amazing we have five girls in the Top 15, which is a crazy stat. Hopefully one of us can kind of step up maybe and win some more bigger tournaments as well.”

Not only are there plenty of Americans in the top of the game now, but there are several in their early 20s which means the future looks bright.

“It’s really cool and hopefully that will just keep inspiring more Americans and more girls to want to play this sport. I think it’s growing a lot as well, and that’s exciting,” said Pegula.

Doubles Rules

The doubles draw got plenty of attention this year at the NBO thanks in part to the strong group of Canadians who went deep in the tournament. From finalist Gabriela Dabrowski, who plays alongside Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, to the Fernandez sisters, Leylah Annie and Bianca Jolie, to the surprising wildcard duo of Ariana Arseneault and Mia Kupres, there were plenty of Canadian flags waving in the later stages of the draw.

The doubles final held on Centre Court had a very big crowd who all appreciated the fast reflexes, hand-eye coordination and solid teamwork on display Monday night. Champion Desirae Krawczyk certainly appreciated the energy when she said, “I think for women’s doubles that’s just great to have such a big turnout after the singles finals, and we really appreciate it, but it was a great atmosphere, that’s all you can ask for.”

Mental Health Prioritized

Yet again this year the National Bank Open sent a message to players and fans that mental health needs to be prioritized. With positivity post cards, quiet spaces for the players on site, mental health discussions, yoga, and dog therapy, it was clear that Tennis Canada and the tournament are giving a genuine push towards normalizing the discussion on this important topic.

Tournament director Karl Hale spoke about prioritizing mental health, saying, “That program is continually expanding, it’s really important, not just for women, but for men as well, so we’ll continue to expand that program. I think, on the tour, we’re probably the leaders on the tour.”

Feature Photo: Peter Power