The Hologic WTA Tour returns to Toronto next week for the first time since 2019 with the National Bank Open presented by Rogers kicking off back-to-back WTA 1000s on the North American hard courts.
Here's what you need to know about Toronto:
When does the tournament start?
The National Bank Open is the first WTA 1000 tournament of the summer hard-court season, held at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Canada. The tournament features a 56-player singles draw and a 28-team doubles draw. Into its 53rd edition, the tournament is played on an outdoor hard court and uses the Wilson US Open Regular Duty ball. Electronic line calling will be used on all match courts.
Main-draw play begins on Monday, Aug.8. Day sessions begin at 11:00 a.m. and night sessions commence at 7:00 p.m.
When are the finals?
The finals will be held on Sunday, Aug.14. The singles final will begin at 1:30 p.m. and the doubles final will follow.
Who are the projected Top 16 seeds?
1. Iga Swiatek
2. Anett Kontaveit
3. Maria Sakkari
4. Paula Badosa
5. Ons Jabeur
6. Aryna Sabalenka
7. Jessica Pegula
8. Garbiñe Muguruza
9. Emma Raducanu
10. Coco Gauff
11. Daria Kasatkina
12. Belinda Bencic
13. Leylah Fernandez
14. Karolina Pliskova
15. Simona Halep
16. Jelena Ostapenko
World No.9 Danielle Collins withdrew from the tournament with a continuing neck injury.
Who are the defending champions?
Bianca Andreescu is the reigning champion in Toronto. She won the 2019 title the last time the tournament was hosted in her hometown. Andreescu defeated Eugenie Bouchard, Daria Kasatkina, Kiki Bertens, Karolina Pliskova, Sofia Kenin and Serena Williams by retirement to win her second WTA 1000 title of the season. The run was a prelude to the Canadian's run to the US Open title a few weeks later, where she beat Williams in the final.
Camila Giorgi won the last edition of the National Bank Open, which came last summer when the tournament was held in Montreal. En route to her first WTA 1000 title, the Italian defeated Elise Mertens, Nadia Podoroska, Petra Kvitova, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Karolina Pliskova.
Champions Corner: Giorgi talks art, family, and why tennis isn't everything in her world
In doubles, Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani won the title in Montreal last summer, while the Czech duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova are the last champions in Toronto.
What does the draw look like?
The main-draw ceremony will take place on Friday, Aug.5 at 5:00 p.m. at the CN Tower.
What is the prize money and ranking points on offer?
First round: 1 point/$12,515
Second round: 60 points/$17,445
Third round: 105 points/$30,660
Quarterfinals: 190 points/$61,300
Semifinals: 350 points/$133,400
Finalist: 585 points/$259,100
Champion: 900/$439,700
Key Storylines
Iga Swiatek returns to hard courts: The World No.1 is already in Toronto fine-tuning her hard-court game ahead of her first North American tournament since sweeping the Sunshine Double in March. Swiatek has played one tournament since her 37-match win streak ended at Wimbledon, taking a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Caroline Garcia at the Warsaw Open.
Serena and Venus Williams are back: For the first time since 2021 Wimbledon, both Serena and Venus are in the singles draw of a tournament. Both women played their first tournament of the season within the last few weeks, with Serena losing in three tough sets to Harmony Tan at Wimbledon and Venus battling in another dramatic three-set match with Rebecca Marino last week in Washington D.C.
Williams Tracker: Where to watch Serena and Venus this summer
Canadians under an injury cloud: Both Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez are racing the clock to be fit for their home tournament. Andreescu was hampered by a low-back injury this week in San Jose, while Fernandez has not played since sustaining a stress fracture in her foot at Roland Garros.
