Canadian Open Tuesday Preview – Sabalenka, Swiatek and Draper Headline Action Across Toronto and Montreal
Tuesday August 4 is the biggest day of the 2026 Canadian Open so far, with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka making her return to Canada after a one-year absence, Iga Swiatek opening on Centre Court in Toronto, and Jack Draper making his comeback from injury as a wildcard in Montreal.
Both cities deliver compelling storylines from the first match at 11:00 AM ET through to the night session closing acts. Here is everything you need to know before play begins.
Quick Facts:
| Detail | Info |
| Date | Tuesday August 4, 2026 |
| Toronto venue | Sobeys Stadium, Toronto |
| Montreal venue | IGA Stadium, Montreal |
| Day session start | 11:00 AM ET both venues |
| Night session start | Not before 7:00 PM ET |
| Top Toronto match | Sabalenka vs Uchijima, Centre Court night |
| Top Montreal match | Tiafoe vs Cilic, Centre Court night |
| FAA | Confirmed Wednesday vs Droguet |
Toronto Tuesday Schedule – WTA Order of Play
Centre Court’s four matches on Tuesday will feature a pair of Grand Slam champions, and even a former NBO finalist.
Full Toronto order of play – August 4:
| Session | Court | Match | Time |
| Day | Grandstand | Elina Svitolina vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | 11:00 AM ET |
| Day | Centre Court | Iga Swiatek vs Sara Bejlek | 12:30 PM ET |
| Day | Centre Court | Marta Kostyuk vs Katherine Sebov | After Swiatek |
| Night | Centre Court | Aryna Sabalenka vs Moyuka Uchijima | Not before 7:00 PM ET |
| Night | Centre Court | Amanda Anisimova vs Lanlana Tararudee | After Sabalenka |
| Day | Outside courts | Maja Chwalinska vs Talia Gibson | Day session |
Key Canadian storyline:
Katherine Sebov plays Marta Kostyuk on Centre Court in only her second ever main draw match at this tournament. After defeating qualifier Aoi Ito on Sunday to become the first Canadian to win a match in Toronto at the 2026 National Bank Open, Sebov now faces one of the most in-form players on the WTA tour.
Sabalenka Returns to Canada – Night Session Highlight
In the opening match of the night session, Aryna Sabalenka makes her return to Canada after a one-year hiatus. The world No. 1, who made the Toronto quarters in 2024, faces qualifier Moyuka Uchijima not before 7:00 PM ET on Centre Court.
Sabalenka arrives in Toronto as the top seed and the dominant force in women’s tennis, having won the Australian Open in January 2026 and reached the Roland Garros final earlier this year. She has not competed in Canada since her 2024 Toronto quarterfinal appearance, making Tuesday night her first match on Canadian soil in over twelve months.
What to expect:
- Uchijima is a Japanese qualifier ranked outside the top 100 who enters this match as a significant underdog
- Sabalenka has won her last 14 matches against players ranked outside the top 50
- The Toronto crowd will give the world No. 1 a significant reception on her return to Sobeys Stadium
- This is her first Canadian Open appearance since reaching the 2024 Toronto quarterfinals
The Canadian Open title remains the most notable gap in Sabalenka’s WTA 1000 collection. Tuesday night is her first step toward closing that gap in 2026.
Swiatek Opens on Centre Court – 12:30 PM
Six-time major champion Iga Swiatek opens her 2026 Toronto campaign on Centre Court against Sara Bejlek at 12:30 PM ET, the first marquee match of the day session.
Swiatek arrives in Toronto as the seventh seed following a season that has produced her Wimbledon title in 2025 and consistent deep runs at majors in 2026. Bejlek, the Czech opponent, is a solid baseline player who has shown the ability to compete against higher ranked opponents on hard courts this season but faces an enormous step up in class against a six-time Grand Slam champion.
Key match facts:
| Detail | Info |
| Match time | 12:30 PM ET, Centre Court |
| Swiatek seed | No. 7 |
| Bejlek ranking | Outside top 60 |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court |
| Expected duration | 60-90 minutes |
Swiatek has won her last eight matches against players ranked outside the top 50 on hard courts and is expected to progress comfortably. The more interesting question for Toronto fans is what form she shows heading into the later rounds where the competition will intensify significantly.
Sebov Makes Second Round History – Centre Court Spotlight
That match is followed by the in-form Marta Kostyuk against Sebov, who is playing in the NBO second round for the first time.
Katherine Sebov’s appearance on Centre Court on Tuesday represents one of the most compelling Canadian storylines of the 2026 tournament so far. After defeating qualifier Aoi Ito 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to become the first Canadian to win a match in Toronto at the 2026 National Bank Open, she now faces world No. 28 Marta Kostyuk in front of a home crowd that will be firmly behind her throughout.
Why this match matters:
- Sebov is playing in the NBO second round for the first time in her career
- Kostyuk is one of the most aggressive and in-form players on the WTA tour heading into the hard court swing
- Centre Court at Sobeys Stadium gives Sebov the biggest stage of her professional career to date
- A victory would put a Canadian player in the third round at their home WTA 1000 event, a result that would generate enormous excitement heading into the second week
Kostyuk is the clear favourite but Sebov has already shown this week that she performs better than her ranking suggests when the occasion demands it. The Toronto crowd will make this one of the loudest matches of the day session regardless of the result.
Svitolina and Anisimova Complete the Toronto Day
Tuesday’s slate in Toronto kicks off and closes with two players who know exactly what it takes to succeed at this tournament.
Svitolina opens at 11:00 AM:
Elina Svitolina, the 2017 Toronto champion, gets things started on Grandstand against Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at 11:00 AM ET. Both Svitolina and Bouzas Maneiro were quarterfinals in Montreal last year, making this one of the most genuinely competitive matches of the entire day session despite its early scheduling on the secondary court.
Svitolina knows how to win in Toronto, having claimed the title here in 2017. She arrives in 2026 with the experience and competitive quality to go deep in this draw if her physical condition holds throughout the tournament week.
Anisimova closes the night:
Amanda Anisimova closes out the evening session against Thai qualifier Lanlana Tararudee after the Sabalenka match concludes. The American reached the title match as the world No. 132 in her last Toronto appearance, getting back into the top 50 with the run. Now ranked significantly higher and with more experience at this level, Anisimova arrives in Toronto as a genuine threat to cause problems for higher seeds in the later rounds.
Tararudee is a qualifier making her WTA 1000 main draw debut and faces a significant step up against an opponent who has proven she can reach finals at this specific tournament.
Montreal Tuesday Schedule – ATP Order of Play
The ATP draw in Montreal delivers a full day of first round action on Tuesday August 4, with several compelling storylines across Centre Court and Rogers Court at IGA Stadium.
Centre Court order of play:
| Session | Match | Time |
| Day | Martin Damm (Q) vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (Q) | 11:00 AM ET |
| Day | Zachary Svajda vs Denis Shapovalov | After Damm/Tsitsipas |
| Day | Terence Atmane vs Jack Draper (WC) | After Shapovalov |
| Night | Frances Tiafoe (15) vs Marin Cilic | Not before 7:00 PM ET |
| Night | Luciano Darderi (19) vs Gabriel Diallo (WC) | After Tiafoe |
Rogers Court order of play:
| Session | Match | Time |
| Day | Hubert Hurkacz vs Marcos Giron (Q) | 11:00 AM ET |
| Day | Daniel Merida vs Liam Draxl (WC) | After Hurkacz |
| Day | Juncheng Shang vs Andrey Rublev (10) | After Merida |
| Evening | James Duckworth vs Alex de Minaur (3) | Not before 6:00 PM ET |
| Evening | Flavio Cobolli (6) vs Yannick Hanfmann | After de Minaur |
Three Canadian wildcards appear across the Montreal schedule on Tuesday, with Liam Draxl on Rogers Court during the day session and Gabriel Diallo on Centre Court in the prime time night slot alongside Jack Draper returning from injury on Centre Court during the afternoon.
Tsitsipas the Qualifier – Biggest Montreal Storyline
The most compelling individual storyline in Montreal on Tuesday is not a seeded player or a Canadian wildcard. It is Stefanos Tsitsipas, listed on the official ATP order of play as a qualifier.
The former world No. 3 and 2021 Roland Garros finalist has fallen so far down the rankings that he was unable to receive direct entry into the 2026 Canadian Open main draw and instead had to compete through qualifying to earn his place in the first round.
Tsitsipas at a glance:
| Detail | Info |
| Former ranking | World No. 3 |
| Current status | Qualifier |
| Opponent | Martin Damm, also a qualifier |
| Court | Centre Court, IGA Stadium |
| Time | 11:00 AM ET |
| Significance | Former top-3 player competing as qualifier |
Tsitsipas faces Martin Damm, another qualifier, in the opening match on Centre Court at 11:00 AM ET. The fact that a player of his calibre and career achievements is competing as a qualifier at a Masters 1000 event captures the brutal nature of professional tennis rankings and the consequences of an extended poor run of results.
A victory for Tsitsipas on Tuesday would be a significant moment in what appears to be a career comeback attempt. A defeat would raise serious questions about where his career goes from here. Either way, Tsitsipas on Centre Court in Montreal is the match most worth watching during the Tuesday day session.
Shapovalov vs Svajda – Canadian Home Crowd Match
Denis Shapovalov takes on American Zachary Svajda on Centre Court at IGA Stadium in the second match of the day session, giving Montreal fans their first look at the Canadian left-hander in his home city during the 2026 tournament.
Shapovalov has a deep connection with the Montreal crowd that stretches back to his legendary 2017 wildcard run where he defeated Rafael Nadal as an 18 year old on this exact court. Every time he steps onto Centre Court at IGA Stadium the crowd responds with an intensity that reflects exactly what that 2017 week meant for Canadian tennis.
Match preview:
| Detail | Info |
| Court | Centre Court, IGA Stadium |
| Time | After Damm vs Tsitsipas |
| Shapovalov ranking | Outside top 50 |
| Svajda ranking | Outside top 100 |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court |
| Home crowd factor | Significant, Montreal always responds to Shapovalov |
Svajda is an American player ranked outside the top 100 who enters this match as the underdog against a player with significantly more experience at this level. Shapovalov’s left-handed serve and one-handed backhand combination creates genuine difficulties for opponents who rarely face that combination in practice.
A Shapovalov victory on Tuesday sets up what could be a compelling run through the Montreal draw alongside fellow Canadian Gabriel Diallo, who faces Darderi on the same court in the night session.
Draper Returns as Wildcard – Comeback Story in Montreal
Jack Draper makes his return to competitive tennis at the 2026 Canadian Open as a wildcard, facing French player Terence Atmane on Centre Court at IGA Stadium in the third match of the day session.
Draper has not competed since suffering a knee injury that dropped his ranking from world No. 4 to outside the top 100. His return to the Canadian Open as a wildcard under the coaching of Andy Murray represents one of the most anticipated comeback stories of the entire 2026 hard court season.
Draper return key facts:
| Detail | Info |
| Entry method | Wildcard |
| Coach | Andy Murray (from May 2026) |
| Opponent | Terence Atmane (France) |
| Court | Centre Court, IGA Stadium |
| Time | After Shapovalov match |
| Last competitive match | Earlier in 2026 before knee injury |
| Career high ranking | World No. 4 |
Atmane is a French player ranked inside the top 100 who presents a genuine test for a player returning from extended injury absence. Draper’s left-handed serve and heavy forehand remain elite weapons when fully fit but the question of match sharpness after months away from competitive tennis hangs over every aspect of his preparation.
Andy Murray’s presence in his coaching team adds an intriguing dimension to this match. The former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion watching his pupil make his competitive comeback on Centre Court in Montreal is one of the most compelling sideline stories of Tuesday’s play.
Diallo vs Darderi – Montreal Night Session Canadian Spotlight
The night session in Montreal closes with one of the most anticipated Canadian matches of the opening week, as Gabriel Diallo faces 19th seed Luciano Darderi on Centre Court at IGA Stadium not before 7:00 PM ET.
Diallo, the Montreal-born ATP title holder competing at his home tournament as a wildcard, rallied to win his first round match on Monday to set up this second round appearance on the biggest court in his home city. The 6ft 8in Canadian now faces a seeded opponent in Darderi, the Italian hard court specialist who arrives in Montreal with a top-20 ranking and significant Masters 1000 experience.
Match preview:
| Detail | Info |
| Court | Centre Court, IGA Stadium |
| Time | Not before 7:00 PM ET, after Tiafoe vs Cilic |
| Diallo status | Wildcard, Montreal-born |
| Darderi seed | No. 19 |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court |
| Home crowd factor | Maximum, Diallo born in Montreal |
Why this match matters:
A Diallo victory over a seeded opponent on Centre Court in Montreal would be one of the defining moments of the Canadian home crowd experience at the 2026 National Bank Open. His thunderous serve and physical presence at the net give him weapons that Darderi will struggle to neutralise on a fast outdoor hard court in front of a passionate home crowd.
Darderi is the clear favourite on paper. But Diallo at home in Montreal, on Centre Court, in front of the crowd that watched him grow up, is exactly the scenario where upsets happen.
How to Watch Tuesday Matches
| Country | Channel | Platform |
| Canada | Sportsnet and TVA Sports | Sportsnet+ |
| USA | Tennis Channel and ESPN | Tennis Channel app |
| UK | Sky Sports Tennis | Now TV |
| Australia | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| India | Sony Sports | SonyLIV |
| Global ATP | Not applicable | Tennis TV |
| Global WTA | Not applicable | WTA TV |
For the complete day by day broadcast guide and session times converted to your local time zone, read our full National Bank Open TV Schedule guide.
FAQs
Conclusion
Tuesday August 4 delivers the most star-studded day of the 2026 Canadian Open so far across both cities. Sabalenka returning to Centre Court in Toronto under the lights. Swiatek opening at 12:30. Sebov making history in the second round. Tsitsipas fighting as a qualifier in Montreal. Draper returning from injury. Diallo on Centre Court at home in front of the city that raised him.
Both draws deliver compelling reasons to watch from the first match at 11:00 AM ET through to the closing night session act. Check our complete Canadian Open results page for live scores and match updates throughout the day as Tuesday’s action unfolds across Toronto and Montreal.
