The nearly two-week format for WTA 1000 events means more singles players line up in doubles.
Combine the star power from singles standouts and prowess from the doubles specialists and you have an excellent draw at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
Right away, the first matchup at the top of the draw pits last year’s Olympic champions, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, against Montreal siblings and wildcards Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Fernandez.
The winner of that contest could meet Grand Slam winners (in singles and doubles) Barbora Krejcikova and Jelena Ostapenko.
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula also feature, though they’re not playing with each other this time. Gauff teams up with fast singles riser McCartney Kessler, while Pegula – aiming for a three-peat in singles in Canada – pairs up with Australian Open singles champ and pal Madison Keys.
The fourth seeds comprise new Wimbledon doubles champions (as a team, that is), Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova.
The fifth seeds, Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider – silver medalists last year at the Paris Games – could run into Pegula and Keys in the second round.
Doubles World no. 1 Taylor Townsend is in Montreal without her usual partner, Katerina Siniakova, who is competing instead at a Challenger in Poland. Lining up alongside the American is doubles Grand Slam winner Zhang Shuai.
And leading the bottom half of the draw is Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, the second seeds who begin against Slam singles winner Sofia Kenin and Caroline Dolehide.
Dabrowski won the title in 2021 in Montreal with Luisa Stefani and made last year’s final in Toronto with Routliffe. Routliffe grew up in Canada and has strong ties to Montreal.
This year hasn’t been easy for Dabrowski. She broke her ribs before the French Open and said she’d been dealing with rib issues for months.
Off the court, though, Dabrowski was last week given the Key to the City in her hometown in recognition of her contributions to sports in Ottawa, as well as her tennis accomplishments.
“I think what's really cool about the honor with the Key to the City is that it's not just about tennis accomplishments,” said Dabrowski. “It's about things that I've cared about doing for many years that hopefully impact others in a positive way. So to be recognized for that was really amazing.”
Photo: Tim Austen