Strong Toronto Qualifying Field Announced for 2026 National Bank Open in Toronto
LINK: 2026 Qualifying Field
FORMER GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS SLOANE STEPHENS AND SOFIA KENIN HEADLINE QUALIFYING ENTRY LIST FOR 2026 NATIONAL BANK OPEN
Qualifying matches will be held on August 1 as part of the 407 ETR Family Weekend
[TORONTO, ON] July 15, 2026 – Tennis Canada today released the list of players who are set to take part in the one-day qualifying draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (NBO) in Toronto on Saturday, August 1. Main-draw action will follow from Sunday, August 2 to Thursday, August 13.
The qualifying list features notable names, including 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens of the United States. The former world No. 3 has reached the NBO final once before, in 2018. Also on the list is her compatriot Taylor Townsend, who advanced to her maiden WTA singles final earlier this season in Austin. In her NBO singles debut in 2024, the world No. 2 in doubles reached the quarter-finals.
2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States will also hit the Sobeys Stadium courts. The former world No. 4’s best NBO appearance was a semi-final in 2019, where she fell to Bianca Andreescu on her path to the title. Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, who reached a career high of world No. 20 in 2025, will also look to top her best NBO performance, a quarter-final in 2022.
Other notable names include Germany’s Tatjana Maria, who has been a finalist in two events this summer, in Eastbourne and Newport, and Maya Joint of Australia, who made waves earlier this month at Wimbledon, where she beat 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the opening round.
Qualifying will take place during 407 ETR Family Weekend in association with LEGO Canada, Montellier, Nintendo and Sobeys, with family-friendly activities taking place throughout opening weekend. The popular CELSIUS TennisFest Weekend is back and will highlight August 8-9, featuring must-see entertainment, interactive experiences, and expanded food and beverage offerings.
Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu withdrew from the main-draw list earlier this week due to a leg injury she’s been managing since the end of the clay swing; Germany’s Eva Lys has moved into the main draw.
NOTES:
• 32 WTA players will compete in the preliminary round at Sobeys Stadium, with 16 spots in the
main draw up for grabs.
• The four remaining players will be the yet-to-be-announced recipients of qualifying wild cards.
• Main-draw wild cards have been awarded to Bianca Andreescu and Venus Williams.
• Six additional main-draw wild cards will be announced in due course, including one reserved for the Road to the NBO winner.
