Andreescu, Fernandez learn NBO 1st-round opponents on home soil

TORONTO — Bianca Andreescu is sick of comebacks.

The Canadian tennis star hopes stepping on the court where she experienced a career highlight — and the place where she fell in love with the game — can provide a boost in her latest attempt to ascend the sport's steep mountain.

Andreescu will face Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the first round of the National Bank Open following Saturday's draw for the country's national championship.

The Mississauga, Ont., native won the event as part of a memorable 2019 season that also included her U.S. Open victory.

Andreescu, who has dealt with a string of injuries over the last few seasons, also took part in that draw before becoming the first Canadian to win the tournament in 55 years.

"That run meant so, so much for me," she said at a glitzy Toronto hotel with the CN Tower and the rest of the city's skyline providing a picturesque mid-summer backdrop. "We're hoping to bring those vibes back. I'm feeling my tennis, I'm feeling good physically. That's all I can ask for.

"I'm very excited."

The 24-year-old's latest injury surfaced just over a year ago when a stress fracture in her back kept her out of action 10 months.

Currently ranked No. 171 in the world, Andreescu returned in May at the French Open, making it to the third round. She also made the same stage at Wimbledon in June before competing for Canada at the Paris Olympics.

"Everything is always a work in progress," Andreescu said. "I'm a perfectionist, so I feel like I can always improve. I definitely feel like my game is there."

Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., who's currently No. 25 on the WTA circuit, will face China's Zhang Shuai in the first round, which starts Tuesday.

Vancouver's Rebecca Marino is set to take on Poland's Magda Linette, while Toronto's Marina Stakusic will meet a qualifier.

The Toronto tournament saw a number of big names withdraw this week for various reasons, including injuries, fatigue and participation at the Summer Games. Coming off a bronze-medal performance in Paris, five-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland is among the players skipping the NBO.

Andreescu said a watered-down field isn't ideal, but she understands the tour's gruelling demands.

"Tennis is a day in, day out type of situation," she said. "There's a tournament almost every single week. Players can pick and choose what they want to play.

"It's not always great for the tournament or the fans. But if the fans can have that understanding … tennis is very hard on the body and the mind."

Wimbledon champion and 10th-ranked Barbora Krejcikova of Czechia and No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan also withdrew. Krejcikova has a thigh injury, while Rybakina is out with acute bronchitis, which prevented her from competing at the Olympics.

Italy's Jasmine Paolini (No. 5), Greece's Maria Sakkari (No. 8), Danielle Collins (No. 9) of the United States, Czechia's Marketa Vondrousova (No. 18) and France's Caroline Garcia (No. 26) also won't be in Toronto.

The NBO pushed its start back a day this year in hopes of having more athletes attend following the Olympics — and with the U.S. Open just over the horizon.

World No. 2 Coco Gauff of the U.S. is the top seed, while Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus comes in at No. 2. American Jessica Pegula, who captured the 2023 tournament in Montreal, will also be at Sobeys Stadium on the campus of York University.

"There's injuries and things like that," Toronto tournament director Karl Hale said. "But you celebrate what we have, which is a great player field."

The men's draw was also held Saturday in Montreal. Hometown favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime — the world No. 19 fresh off winning Olympic bronze in mixed doubles alongside Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski — will open against Flavio Cobolli.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both withdrew earlier this week, but world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner will be there.

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., Montreal's Gabriel Diallo and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., are also in the main draw at IGA Stadium.

Shapovalov will face a qualifier in the first round, Raonic gets world No. 17 Holger Rune, Diallo was drawn against world No. 21 Karen Khachanov, and Pospisil will stare down No. 22 Sebastian Korda.

Andreescu, meanwhile, is done comparing her current self to the teenager who grabbed Canadian tennis hearts in 2019.

The memories are ones to cherish. The path ahead — starting on home soil — is all she's worried about.

"I'm physically stronger, I'm mentally stronger," Andreescu said. "I'm a completely different person. I definitely feel like my game is there.

"If I'm on, I know I can beat anybody."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.