Osaka and Jabeur clash in first round; Gauff tops the draw

TORONTO — World No.2 Coco Gauff tops the draw at the National Bank Open, where Naomi Osaka and Ons Jabeur 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, defending champion and No.6 Jessica Pegula and No.11 Jelena Ostapenko. The top eight seeds receive a bye into the second round.

As Gauff prepares for her US Open title defense in three weeks, she will open her Toronto campaign against either Sofia Kenin 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. The American was forced to retire in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last month due to leg injury. Victoria Azarenka and Leylah Fernandez 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. Ostapenko will open her tournament against either Paula Badosa or Clara Tauson, 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 lead the bottom quarter of the draw along with No.10 seed Anna Kalinskaya and No.13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu 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 (fatigue), No.4 Elena Rybakina (illness), No.5 Jasmine Paolini, No.7 and gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, No.8 Maria Sakkari (shoulder injury), No.9 Danielle Collins (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 and Aryna Sabalenka in action at Sobeys Stadium.”