The National Bank Open, set to commence on August 2, is slated to be one of the biggest tournaments on the WTA calendar and the biggest one in Canada. Last year, Victoria Mboko made a name for herself by winning the title, leading to even more excitement around the event this year. To help the event reach greater heights, the Ontario government has decided to step in with a hefty contribution.

They have decided to invest $500,000 to support the 2026 National Bank Open. The tournament is quite important for the city of Ontario as a whole and is expected to attract more than 200,000 attendees. It is also expected to generate nearly $60 million in GDP contribution for Ontario and Canada. Additionally, it is expected that the tournament will reach more than 70 million viewers worldwide.

The Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Sport, Natalie Pierre, highlighted how big a deal the National Bank Open is for not just the younger generation of tennis players in the country but also for Ontario as a whole.

“Ontario continues to prove that we can host the world’s biggest sporting events while delivering lasting benefits for our communities,” she said in a statement. “The National Bank Open attracts visitors from around the world, supports local businesses and showcases the incredible talent developed through our province’s sport system. With this investment, our government is growing sport tourism, creating good-paying jobs and inspiring the next generation of women and girls to participate, compete and excel in sports.”

The investment that the Canadian government has made for the National Bank Open will not only support the event but will also allow the organizers to enhance visitor experiences. With over 130 years of history on its side, the National Bank Open is among the longest-running events on the WTA calendar, so it’s not a surprise that the government wants to contribute in whatever way they can to improve the overall quality of the competition.

The upcoming edition of the WTA National Bank Open will see Aryna Sabalenka enter as the top seed with Elena Rybakina and Jessica rounding off the top 3. As for crowd-favorites, Leylah Fernandez is the highest-ranked Canadian player in the competition this season.

This spot would have been taken by Victoria Mboko, but unfortunately she won’t be a part of the competition due to an injury. However, she isn’t the only notable player to have withdrawn from the competition, and several WTA stars won’t be playing in the Masters event this year.

Victoria Mboko and Emma Raducanu headline National Bank Open withdrawal list

Talking about the local hero, Mboko has been out of action since the HSBC Championships. This was where she had suffered a nasty fall during her clash against Karolina Pliskova. She had twisted her knee because of the fall and, as a result, had to withdraw from several tournaments, including Wimbledon.

Being the defending champion of the National Bank Open, Mboko is set to drop 1000 points on the rankings because of her withdrawal from the upcoming edition. There is no guarantee that the Canadian will be able to return before the US Open.

Emma Raducanu is another high-profile player to withdraw from the National Bank Open. She had last played at the HSBC Championships and had then withdrawn from Wimbledon at the last moment due to a lower right leg stress fracture. Additionally, Raducanu has also pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters, once again highlighting the seriousness of her injury.

Karolina Muchova is also one of the biggest player withdrawals from the National Bank Open. The 2026 Wimbledon finalist took a short break from the Tour after a Grand Slam because she had to undergo minor surgery. She is taking her time to recover and will only be back on the court once she is fully fit. While Muchova may not play in Canada, her name is present on the entry list for the Cincinnati Masters.

Finally, Hailey Baptiste is another notable player who won’t be in action at the National Bank Open. The American has been on the sidelines since the French Open, where she suffered an ACL tear during her second-round clash against Xiyu Wang. While Baptiste’s recovery may be on track, she is expected to remain out of action for the remainder of the season and return to the Tour next year.