Fernandez sisters, Andreescu and Cross awarded doubles wild cards; Zhao and Arseneault receive remaining singles main-draw wild cards

Carol Zhao (Richmond Hill, ON) and Ariana Arseneault (Richmond Hill, ON) have been selected for singles main-draw entries. Zhao, who turned professional in 2016, has been nominated to represent Team Canada at Billie Jean King Cup on seven occasions and won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in doubles alongside Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa, ON), will play in the final NBO of her career after she confirmed 2026 will be her last year on Tour.

READ: Cross Secures Women’s Road to NBO Wildcard with Granby Title; Top Seeds Sweep on Men’s Side

In doubles, Leylah Annie Fernandez (Laval, QC) reunites with her sister Bianca Jolie Fernandez (Laval, QC), and recent Billie Jean King Cup teammates Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON) and Kayla Cross (London, ON) join forces.  

“The National Bank Open has always been a special opportunity for Canadian players to compete on home soil, and having eight Canadians in the main draw reflects the continued growth and depth of tennis in this country,” said Tournament Director Karl Hale. “Fans will also be excited to see the Fernandez sisters reunite after reaching the semi-finals in Toronto in 2024, while Billie Jean King Cup teammates Bianca Andreescu and Kayla Cross add another exciting Canadian team to the doubles draw. Their performances will no doubt create lasting memories for fans and inspire the next generation of Canadian tennis players.”

READ: Sebov, Brace, and Marino receive main-draw wild cards for National Bank Open in Toronto

“We are delighted to award main-draw wild cards to Ariana [Arseneault] and Carol [Zhao],” said Noelle van Lottum, Head of Women’s Tennis at Tennis Canada. “Ariana’s game continues to trend in the right direction, and she is doing all the right things to position herself to compete at the highest of levels. Carol has been a respected figure in Canadian tennis for many years, and we’re thrilled to give her the opportunity to compete at her home tournament for one final time. These two players will add to an already exciting Canadian contingent at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.” 

The eight main-draw wild cards have now been awarded, with the previous six going to Andreescu, Cross, Katherine Sebov (Toronto, ON), Cadence Brace (Toronto, ON), Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC), and Venus Williams.  

Avery Alexander (Sudbury, ON) and Ana Grubor (Toronto, ON) have earned a wild card into the one-day qualifying draw. They will be joined by one additional Canadian, with the third qualifying wild card to be awarded through a mini tournament featuring four Canadian players. The fourth and final entry was exchanged under a trade.

One doubles wild card remains to be announced.