Montreal tennis fans will have their eyes on Eugenie Bouchard, who is making her long-awaited return to the National Bank Open next month.
Tennis Canada announced the list of players who will be competing in the qualifying draw of the upcoming tournament on Thursday. With eight spots in the main draw on the line, 28 WTA players, including Canadians like Bouchard, Katherine Sebov, and Carol Zhao, will each take part in the preliminary event held at IGA Stadium on August 5 and 6.
Bouchard, a Montreal native, last played in the National Bank Open in 2019. The 29-year-old is currently ranked No. 212 but has had a strong season with nine wins and an impressive performance at the 1,000-level event in Madrid, reaching the second round.
At the 2014 Wimbledon tournament, Bouchard became the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the final of a major singles tournament, finishing runner-up. That same year, she reached a career-high ranking of No. 5.
Over the past few years, though, she’s been sidelined from a lot of action due to injuries.
Last week, the National Bank Open revealed its full player list for the main draw, which consists of 41 of the top 44 players on the WTA Tour. Among them are some of the sport’s biggest names like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and fellow Quebecer Leylah Annie Fernandez.
Another notable figure joining the tournament is tennis legend Venus Williams. The 43-year-old was recently awarded a wild card into the main draw.
The Canadian tournament will take place from August 4 to 13. Tickets for the event are now on sale.