Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON), Gabriel Diallo (Montreal, QC), and Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, BC) have been awarded wild cards into the main draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal.
- Qualifying wild cards awarded to Canadians Alexis Galarneau, Liam Draxl, Taha Baadi, and Nicolas Arseneault
- Wild cards in doubles given to Félix Auger-Aliassime and Galarneau, as well as Denis Shapovalov and Pospisil
They join compatriots Félix Auger-Aliassime, world No. 19, as well as Denis Shapovalov, who was given the first main-draw wild card, for the 2024 edition of the tournament held from August 3 to 12 at IGA Stadium.
Raonic, former world No. 3 and Wimbledon finalist in 2016, will be taking part in his first NBO in Montreal since 2019. Last year, he competed in the event in Toronto and reached the third round thanks to impressive victories over Japan's Taro Daniel and ninth-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the United States. In 2013, Raonic achieved his best NBO result in front of the Montreal crowd, reaching the final before bowing out to five-time champion Rafael Nadal of Spain. The city of Montreal, not only the scene of Raonic’s best result in Canada, but also the site of his second home when he trained as a youngster at the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers.
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Diallo, world No. 148, will be making his third appearance at the NBO and his second in the main draw. Last year, he defeated then-world No. 21 Daniel Evans of Great Britain in the first round, before losing to eventual finalist Alex de Minaur of Australia. The six-foot-eight Montrealer has enjoyed some success in his home neighbourhood of Villeray, where IGA Stadium is located, capturing the ITF M25 Montreal event in 2023 and winning both his matches at the Davis Cup Qualifier tie against the Republic of Korea. In May, Diallo qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at Roland-Garros, and this past Sunday, he won his first title of the season at the Chicago Men's Challenger, without being broken once throughout the tournament.
Completing the list of NBO main draw wild card recipients is Pospisil, former world No. 25. The 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion is gearing up to make his 16th appearance at the NBO. His best result at the tournament dates back to 2013 when he reached the semi-finals, defeating fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych in an epic third-round battle before eventually falling to fellow countryman Raonic. For most of the 2024 season, Pospisil has played on the ATP Challenger circuit, where he has reached a quarter-final in both singles and doubles.
“We are excited to announce that Milos [Roanic], Gabriel [Diallo], and Vasek [Pospisil] are joining us in Montreal for this year’s tournament,” said Valérie Tétreault, Tournament Director of the National Bank Open in Montreal. “This tennis-loving city certainly remembers Milos and Vasek battling it out in the semi-finals in 2013 for a spot in the final against none other than Rafael Nadal. Being able to welcome back these two players who have done so much for our sport, as well as the addition of Gabriel, one of Canada’s rising stars, only adds to the excitement that will be felt here at IGA Stadium.”
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In addition to these players, fans will have the chance to cheer on homegrown talent during the IGA Family Weekend in association with VIA Rail Canada and Kamik Canada, as Alexis Galarneau (Laval, QC), Liam Draxl (Newmarket, ON), Taha Baadi (Montreal, QC), and Nicolas Arseneault have received wild cards to compete in the qualifiers.
- World No. 232 Galarneau leads the way for the Canadian contingent in the qualifiers. The 25-year-old from Laval has already reached a final this season, at the ATP Challenger in Mexico City, Mexico. In 2023, Galarneau won his first Challenger title at the Granby National Bank Championships.
- Draxl is enjoying a great season, reaching two ATP Challenger semi-finals and climbing up to a new career-high ranking of No. 250 in June. The Newmarket native also represented Canada for the first time in his career at the 2024 Davis Cup Qualifier tie in February.
- 23-year-old Baadi gears up to make his NBO debut. The Montrealer won his first professional title in June at the M15 event in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This will be his second appearance at an ATP Tour-level event.
- Canada's top-ranked junior boys' player, Nicolas Arseneault, will receive the final qualifying wild card. The 17-year-old won two J100 titles this season and took part in his first ATP Challenger tournament in Granby, where he won a qualifying match. Like Baadi, this will be his first appearance at the NBO.
Canada to be well represented in doubles
Lastly, wild cards have been awarded in doubles to Shapovalov and Pospisil, as well as Auger-Aliassime and Galarneau. Playing together in Davis Cup ties and at the 2021 Australian Open, the duo of Shapovalov and Pospisil have a record of four wins and three losses. The all-Quebec team of Auger-Aliassime and Galarneau are still looking for their first win together, having played twice as a pair at the 2021 NBO and in 2015 in Granby, when they were just 14 and 16 respectively.
Feature photo by: Peter Power
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