43 of WTA Tour’s Top 44 set to take part at Sobeys Stadium, 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu to receive main draw wild card.
Tennis Canada has revealed the entry list for the 2024 National Bank Open presented by Rogers (NBO) in Toronto. The Best of Women’s Tennis are set to compete at Sobeys Stadium from August 4-12 after a sensational player field was confirmed which contains 43 of the WTA Tour’s Top 44.
“As a leading event on the WTA Tour, it’s no surprise the National Bank Open presented by Rogers will attract the world’s best players to Toronto yet again this August,” said Karl Hale, Tournament Director, NBO Toronto. “The women’s game continues to get more and more exciting, and it’s more competitive than ever. Our fans will get to enjoy the thrill of witnessing the best our great sport has to offer from August 4 to 12, both on and off the court. We look forward to welcoming the fans, players and our corporate partners to Sobeys Stadium and to hosting the world’s biggest week-long women’s sporting event next month.”
Fans will be thrilled at the return of top-ranked Canadian and 2021 US Open singles finalist Leylah Annie Fernandez, who will open her 2024 NBO campaign during the night session of Wednesday, August 7, and 2019 NBO and US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who will receive a main draw wild card.
Also set to return to Toronto, World No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek will have her sights set on a first NBO title. She will be joined by 2023 US Open singles and 2022 NBO doubles champion Coco Gauff (World No. 2) and back-to-back Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka (No. 3), who is confirmed to play her first match during Thursday, August 8’s night session.
Read also: Top 5 WTA moments at the National Bank Open in the 21st century
2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (No. 4), reigning NBO singles champion Jessica Pegula (No. 5), 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova (No. 6), Jasmine Paolini (No. 7), 2024 Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen (No. 8), Maria Sakkari (No. 9) and three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur (No. 10) complete the full roster of the world’s Top 10 set to take part in Toronto.
Click here for the complete entry list in Toronto. Buy your tickets now.
The three remaining main draw wild cards will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The entry list for the National Bank Open in Montreal will be revealed on Thursday, July 11.
The official draw ceremony for the NBO in Toronto will take place at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, August 3. Fans are reminded that, due to the Paris 2024 Olympics schedule, the NBO will start and end one day later than usual this year, with the first day of qualifying on Sunday, August 4, main draw due to commence on Tuesday, August 6 and the singles and doubles finals taking place on Monday, August 12.
As fan experience is a priority for the NBO, the popular 407 ETR Family Weekend is set to return this year and will take place on Sunday, August 4 and Monday, August 5. Admission is free for all fans on those days as various family-friendly activities are hosted across the Sobeys Stadium site.
One such event is the second-annual ball hockey game as we welcome athletes from the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) Toronto team to Sobeys Stadium to take on a collection of stars from the WTA Tour. Taking place on Court 1 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 5, fans can witness this collaboration between one of North America’s fastest-growing and much-celebrated sports leagues and the world’s best tennis players.
Participants from PWHL Toronto and WTA Tour will be confirmed closer to the event.
Further details regarding 407 ETR Family Weekend will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
When the stars of the WTA Tour take to the courts this August, it will mark the 20th anniversary of Sobeys Stadium, the home of the NBO since its grand opening in July 2004. From its very first match between eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi and Tommy Haas, to hosting the first Canadian NBO champion in 50 years when Bianca Andreescu lifted the trophy in 2019 (Faye Urban 1969), the stadium has been home to some iconic tennis moments.
Its diverse resume has included the 2015 Pan American Games tennis event, Davis Cup ties in 2009 and 2010, the 2017 North American Indigenous Games opening ceremony, York University’s annual convocation, Tennis Canada’s National Junior Training Program in Toronto and the ITF women’s Tevlin Challenger. More recently, the venue has been the setting for several concerts, in partnership with The Feldman Agency, with the likes of Barenaked Ladies and Shaggy having graced the Sobeys Stadium stage. Click here to learn more about the concert series.
Read also: Road to the NBO – July 9th
“The construction of a state-of-the-art venue in Sobeys Stadium was crucial in 2004, and it remains a key pillar of tennis in Canada today and for the future,” said Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer, Tennis Canada. “Each year, our facility gets better and better thanks to enhancements for the NBO, but also year-round to service the many grassroots and youth tennis development programs we run here. Sobeys Stadium, along with IGA Stadium in Montreal, is truly a beacon for tennis in Canada. We are proud to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and to continue to expand its varied portfolio of events.”
The WTA’s best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open August 4 to 12 at Sobeys Stadium. Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!
Feature Photo: Tyler Anderson
