Tennis Canada just unveiled its entry list for the 2026 National Bank Open in Toronto, and it’s stacked: 72 of the WTA Tour’s top 75 players are set to compete at Sobeys Stadium next month! World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leads a field packed with almost every top women’s tennis player in the world, including Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
But one very noticeable local name is missing from the list. Victoria Mboko, the world No. 10 from Burlington, Ont., won’t be able to defend the National Bank Open title she won in Montreal last summer. The Canadian star withdrew after injuring the medial collateral ligament in her left knee at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in June. The injury forced Mboko to miss the rest of the grass-court season, including Wimbledon, so her absence will extend into at least part of the North American hard-court swing.
It’s super disappointing for fans (and for Mboko herself), especially after the underdog run that made her a star last summer. Mboko began 2025 ranked No. 333 in the PIF WTA Rankings, but beat four Grand Slam champions, Sofia Kenin, Gauff, Rybakina and Osaka, on her way to her first WTA Tour title. This year was supposed to bring her title defence back to Toronto, where she grew up attending the tournament.
“Some tournaments mean a little more than others. But the @nbotoronto means everything to me. Not being able to play at home this summer in front of the people I love and with the support of the Toronto crowd is deeply disappointing as it has been something I’ve been looking so much forward to,” the 19-year-old wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “I am sharing this message with you as this is a part of my journey, one that has just started. I will be back…!”
And she’s getting tons of support from fans and fellow players alike.
“You’ll be back stronger Babygirl,” Sloane Stephens commented under the post, while Coco Gauff commiserated with a sad face and a heart. The National Bank of Canada even chimed in: “Tough moment but just a chapter in a bigger story. Can’t wait to see you back on that court stronger than ever.”
In total, 12 Grand Slam champions are expected to take part in this year’s tournament. With Mboko on the sidelines, Canada will still have Leylah Annie Fernandez in the field, while Mississauga’s Bianca Andreescu, who won the tournament in 2019, has received a main-draw wild card.
Oh, and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has also been given a wild card!
The 2026 National Bank Open takes over Sobeys Stadium from Aug 1 to 13, using its expanded 12-day format for the second year. Qualifying begins Aug 1, while the 96-player main draw runs from Aug 2 to 13.
Fans will get their first look at the matchups when the Toronto draw is revealed July 31 at noon.
Follow @nbotoronto for updates.