Former Grand Slam Champions Feeling Mentally…

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The WTA season is a difficult grind. Travelling to multiple different countries within the span of a year, with sometimes not even a week’s rest in between tournaments takes a lot to power through.

For Grand Slam champions, the highs of winning on tennis’ grandest stage must be short-lived as the focus quickly shifts to the next event – on a different surface.

That was exactly the case for Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova, who both arrive in Toronto as first-time major titlists following their triumphs at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, respectively.

Andreeva became the youngest Roland-Garros champion in 34 years, hoisting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen at just 19 years old. However, then came the grass-court swing, forcing the world No. 5 to promptly put her crowning moment in the past and set her sights on Wimbledon.

“Of course for me, it was hard because I haven’t had a lot of time to kind of enjoy the win. I had to go and prepare for grass courts,” Andreeva said in a press conference on Aug. 2 in Toronto. “It’s hard to forget that it happened, try to move on, and just go and play the next tournament in your plan like nothing happened. That’s what I’m trying, to focus on playing [in Toronto] and my next tournaments like nothing happened.”

Noskova was in the same boat. The Czech won her maiden major title at Wimbledon but first had to find some motivation in the final after letting championship points slip in the second set. Prior to the third, Noskova went to the dressing room and walked by the Venus Rosewater Dish, which gave her that extra boost to eventually get her hands on the trophy.

Now, the 21-year-old looks motivated ahead of the 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers – her first event since Wimbledon – as the WTA season reaches one of its final swings.

“It’s a long year, we’re playing for 11 months in a row. It’s not easy to keep your focus 100 per cent all the time, especially after big wins or losses,” Noskova said in her press conference on Aug. 2. “If you cannot get back into the game for the next week, it’s trouble. But for me, I feel like I have always been good at [staying motivated] naturally. I didn’t have to practice or work on it… it’s always been kind of easy for me.”

For world No. 1s current and former, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, sometimes time away from the court is the best motivator to get back on it. In their Aug. 2 press conferences, both players said they went to Greece following Wimbledon, using the trip as a refresh. Sabalenka also said, “I suffered during the summer swing a lot with my body, also mentally a little bit. After Mykonos, I felt much better. I couldn’t wait to get back on the court and start working towards my goals for this swing.”

The world No. 1 hasn’t won a title since completing the Sunshine Double in Miami, while Swiatek has yet to reach a WTA final in 2026.

With the NBO seeds set to start play on Tuesday, the tour’s top stars will all look for a boost in Toronto. Players have been hitting the practice courts in wait of their opening matches, but some sessions may be going better than others, as Coco Gauff expressed her frustration in Saturday’s practice. However, the two-time Grand Slam champion explained how getting her frustrations out of the way helps her find the right mentality for her matches.

“Honestly, in practice, I can be negative. Yesterday I was pretty negative during my practice. I think that’s where I get all the energy out,” Gauff said in her Aug. 2 press conference. “I feel like tennis is a game of small margins, so if you show your opponent something, then maybe they can use that as energy. I’m not always composed, but I just show it, and sometimes it’s really just fake it till you make it.”

A handful of the NBO’s top players have each had different methods of preparation to get ready for Toronto, but each are mentally ready to begin play at Sobeys Stadium in quest of the same goal – hoisting the trophy on Centre Court on Thursday, August 13.

The WTA's best return to Toronto for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers Aug 1 to 13 at Sobeys Stadium. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Mike Lawrence/Wick Photography for National Bank Open