Aryna Sabalenka enters the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto with her world number one ranking under pressure, aiming to leverage her hard court prowess ahead of her upcoming US Open title defense. The Belarusian has been formidable on hard surfaces this year, securing 23 victories in 24 matches, with her only blemish being a loss to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.
Despite her hard court success, Sabalenka faced setbacks earlier this season, exiting the French Open in the quarter-finals and falling to Naomi Osaka during the round of 16 at Wimbledon. Should she fail to advance past the round of 16 in Toronto, Rybakina could overtake her for the top ranking by winning the tournament title.
While Sabalenka has never surpassed the semi-finals in Canada, she arrives feeling refreshed after a post-Wimbledon break in Mykonos. Reflecting on her recent form, she noted, “Clay and grass, I wouldn’t say they were that bad. I was trying a couple of things, didn’t go the way that I expected. And now we’re kind of back to basics and I really hope it’s going to work out well.”
The world number one emphasized the importance of her recent downtime, stating, “I think the rest was much-needed. I spent there five, six days maybe. I felt much better, I couldn’t wait to get back on court and start working towards my goals for this swing.”
The Toronto draw features a competitive field. Sabalenka leads the top half, which includes third-seeded Jessica Pegula, 2024 finalist Amanda Anisimova, and seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek, who is looking to bounce back from a third-round Wimbledon exit. Meanwhile, Rybakina anchors the bottom half alongside Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
Noskova, who recently broke into the top 10, is seeded sixth and could face Alexandra Eala in the third round. Notably, Karolina Muchova is absent due to minor surgery, and reigning champion Victoria Mboko remains sidelined with a knee injury.
The tournament schedule has drawn scrutiny, with Sabalenka describing the transition from the grass season to the Canadian events and the subsequent Cincinnati tournament as “tricky.” She noted that players who progress deep into the grass season often face significant fatigue, questioning the value of competing when the body is under extreme stress. “It’s very tricky, but this year I didn’t do well so I’m here,” she added.
High-profile withdrawals have also impacted the concurrent ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal, most notably Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner. These absences highlight the physical toll of the current professional tennis calendar as players prepare for the US Open, which begins on August 30.
Tournament action in Toronto commenced with all 32 seeded players receiving first-round byes. Sunday’s schedule featured notable matchups, including seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams facing Kamilla Rakhimova, and Canadian favorite Bianca Andreescu headlining the night session against Nikola Bartunkova.
If Sabalenka fails to reach the round of 16 in Toronto, Kazakhstan’s Rybakina can rise to number one if she lifts the trophy.
Sabalenka had exited Wimbledon saying she wanted to “forget about tennis”.
Sabalenka said the scheduling is “tricky” for any player that does well in the grass court season, with the Canadian tournaments followed by a 1000-level event in Cincinnati in a schedule that offers little respite befor
She did that with a summer holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos.
They have met twice already this year, with Noskova winning both times.
Sabalenka said the scheduling is “tricky” for any player that does well in the grass court season, with the Canadian tournaments followed by a 1000-level event in Cincinnati in a schedule that offers little respite before the US Open begins on August 30.
