The 2025 National Bank Open presented by Rogers returns to Montreal for its women’s tournament, with Jessica Pegula aiming to secure an unprecedented third consecutive title at this WTA 1000 event. Pegula, who claimed victories in both Montreal two years ago and Toronto last year, arrives alongside top contenders including Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff. Notably, Aryna Sabalenka withdrew earlier in the month to rest ahead of Cincinnati, opening the field to other title hopefuls.

Historically, the tournament has seen champions like Bianca Andreescu, Camila Giorgi, Simona Halep, and Pegula herself, underscoring its competitive prestige. Court conditions in previous years have influenced play significantly; for instance, the men’s event in Montreal last year recorded a Tennis Abstract Surface Speed of 0.78, indicating slower courts with 22% fewer aces than average tour surfaces. Such conditions favor players who combine power with patience and endurance.

Amanda Anisimova’s recent Wimbledon final performance was disappointing, losing 6-0, 6-0, but reaching that stage after a notable semifinal win over Sabalenka signals her rising potential. She exhibits strong baseline power, a world-class backhand, and improving court movement, which could yield a deep run in Montreal’s slower hard-court conditions if she maintains confidence.

Jessica Pegula’s adaptability across different court speeds has been demonstrated by her back-to-back titles at this tournament, irrespective of venue shifts between Montreal and Toronto. Her strong recent hard-court form, including a 15-2 win-loss record last year from Toronto through the US Open—with losses only to Sabalenka—makes her a credible favorite to excel as the hard-court season advances.

With multiple contenders present and conditions demanding a mixture of power and grit, this year’s National Bank Open promises engaging matches and intense competition.

The prestigious National Bank Open in Montreal ushers in a critical phase of the WTA season with top-tier play as Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff seek to capitalize on their recent Grand Slam triumphs. Swiatek, seeded second, arrives determined to reclaim the No. 1 ranking and to sustain her momentum after clinching her maiden Wimbledon title. Her participation injects significant star power into a draw missing Aryna Sabalenka.

For both Swiatek and Gauff, this tournament represents an opportunity to build towards the final major of the year. Gauff returns to competitive action following an early exit at Wimbledon, where she was defeated by Dayana Yastremska. Both athletes have yet to reach the final at this event, making their campaigns this year particularly important.

Swiatek’s path appears challenging, with possible early encounters against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Clara Tauson, both players enjoying successful seasons. The quarterfinals could see matches against Madison Keys, Belinda Bencic, or Karolina Muchova, with a semifinal potentially setting up a clash with two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula.

Gauff, meanwhile, may face Danielle Collins in an early round, followed by possible matches against Jasmine Paolini, Ekaterina Alexandrova, or Diana Shnaider—the latter having defeated Gauff previously in Montreal. Gauff’s confidence will be closely watched after her breakthrough at Roland Garros and the disappointment at Wimbledon.

Jessica Pegula, seeking a third consecutive title at her near-home event, remains a formidable contender on the fast courts favored by the Buffalo native. Despite some inconsistencies this season, she holds an impressive overall record of 35-14 with three titles and a world ranking of No. 4.

As the 96-player draw unfolds, the Montreal tournament offers an engaging preview of the race to the year’s concluding Grand Slam, highlighting the competitive depth and narratives unique to the WTA tour.

The seventh WTA 1000 event of the year is set to begin at Montreal’s IGA Stadium from July 27 to August 7. This tournament features seven of the top 10 ranked players in the women’s singles draw, creating a highly competitive field.

Notably absent from the draw is world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who withdrew before the draw was finalized. The top two seeds remaining are Coco Gauff, ranked No 2 globally, and Iga Swiatek, the newly crowned Wimbledon champion. Defending champion Jessica Pegula, who won the previous edition in Toronto by beating Amanda Anisimova, is also in action.

Coco Gauff leads the top section of the draw and could start her campaign against Danielle Collins, provided Collins overcomes a qualifier. Their meeting would be a first-time encounter. Gauff’s path may lead her to face seeds Jasmine Paolini, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Ashlyn Krueger in later rounds. In Gauff’s half of the draw, fourth seed Mirra Andreeva could meet Emma Navarro in the quarter-finals.

Iga Swiatek heads the bottom half of the draw and enjoys a first-round bye due to her seeding. Swiatek’s opening opponent will be a qualifier or Yulia Putintseva, the last player to defeat Swiatek at Wimbledon. Further rounds may see her face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and seeds Clara Tauson or Magdalena Frech. Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, is also in Swiatek’s quarter and could challenge the Pole in the quarter-finals.

Emma Raducanu, returning to her British No 1 ranking, begins her Montreal run against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Raducanu’s next potential opponent is 32nd seed Peyton Stearns, with Amanda Anisimova projected in the third round—against whom Raducanu holds a favorable head-to-head record recently. Seeds Elina Svitolina and Elise Mertens present additional challenges on her path. Pegula is the highest seed in Raducanu’s quarter, with Liudmila Samsonova, Jelena Ostapenko, and Magda Linette among other contenders.

Wildcards for the event include 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and Canadian prospect Victoria Mboko, adding local interest to the mix. The tournament promises compelling matchups and significant ranking point opportunities as players vie for the prestigious WTA 1000 title in Montreal.