Toronto preview: Osaka and Jabeur clash in first round; Gauff tops the draw
TORONTO -- World No.2 Coco Gauff View Profile tops the draw at the National Bank Open, where Naomi Osaka View Profile and Ons Jabeur View Profile will face off in a blockbuster first-round match.
Toronto 2024: Draws | Schedule | Scores
The National Bank Open is the seventh WTA 1000 tournament of the season. Toronto kicks off a high-stakes stretch of summer hard courts across North America that leads to the final Grand Slam of the season at the US Open.
Gauff leads the draw along with World No.3 Aryna Sabalenka View Profile , defending champion and No.6 Jessica Pegula View Profile and No.11 Jelena Ostapenko View Profile . The top eight seeds receive a bye into the second round.
Main draw at at Toronto (WTA 1000), where Coco Gauff View Profile , Aryna Sabalenka View Profile , Jessica Pegula View Profile and Jelena Ostapenko View Profile are the top seeds.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 3, 2024
1R draw: Ons Jabeur View Profile vs. Naomi Osaka View Profile . pic.twitter.com/QL0D1t9Pzv
As Gauff prepares for her US Open title defense in three weeks, she will open her Toronto campaign against either Sofia Kenin View Profile or a qualifier. Looming in Gauff's quarter are former No.1 Osaka and three-time major finalist Jabeur. The two will face off for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open in the first round. Jabeur comes to Toronto under an injury cloud after withdrawing from the Mubadala Citi DC Open last week due to a right shoulder injury.
No.3 seed Pegula leads the second quarter of the draw, which sees the return of No.7 seed Madison Keys View Profile . The American was forced to retire in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last month due to leg injury. Victoria Azarenka View Profile and Leylah Fernandez View Profile round out the seeded players in Pegula's quarter.
The third quarter is anchored by No.4 seed Ostapenko and No.8 seed Emma Navarro View Profile . Ostapenko will open her tournament against either Paula Badosa View Profile or Clara Tauson View Profile , with the Spaniard having made her first Hologic WTA Tour final in over two years this week in Washington D.C.
No.2 seed Sabalenka and No.5 seed Daria Kasatkina View Profile lead the bottom quarter of the draw along with No.10 seed Anna Kalinskaya View Profile and No.13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia View Profile . 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu View Profile is also in the bottom quarter. She will open against Lesia Tsurenko.
Coming on the heels of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Toronto saw several withdrawals this year. World No.1 Iga Swiatek View Profile (fatigue), No.4 Elena Rybakina View Profile (illness), No.5 Jasmine Paolini View Profile , No.7 and gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, No.8 Maria Sakkari View Profile (shoulder injury), No.9 Danielle Collins View Profile (injury), and No.10 Barbora Krecjikova (thigh injury) withdrew from the tournament before the draw was made.
“We understand the unique honour of athletes in an individual sport representing their country at the Olympic Games and that players must do what is best for them in terms of their health, recovery and schedules,” said Karl Hale, Tournament Director, NBO Toronto. “Our player list remains extremely strong, and fans can look forward to seeing many of the world’s best players, including top seeds Coco Gauff View Profile and Aryna Sabalenka View Profile in action at Sobeys Stadium."