Canadian Open Wildcards Explained – How They Work and Who Gets Them
In August 2025 an 18 year old Canadian ranked 85th in the world walked into the Montreal draw as a wildcard and defeated four former Grand Slam champions to win the Canadian Open title.
Victoria Mboko’s victory is the most dramatic recent example of what a wildcard entry can produce at the Canadian Open. But wildcards are not just lottery tickets for unknown players. They are a carefully considered part of the tournament structure that serves multiple purposes for Tennis Canada, the ATP and WTA tours, and Canadian tennis development as a whole.
This guide explains exactly what a wildcard is at the Canadian Open, how they are awarded, who decides who gets them, and why they matter for the tournament every summer.
Quick Facts:
| Detail | Info |
| Main draw wildcards | Typically 8 per draw (ATP and WTA combined allocation) |
| Qualifying wildcards | Additional wildcards available for qualifying rounds |
| Who awards them | Tennis Canada plus ATP and WTA tour allocations |
| Canadian player programme | Road to NBO qualifying series |
| Most famous wildcard | Victoria Mboko, 2025 Canadian Open champion |
| Ranking points | Special rules apply for wildcard entrants |
What Is a Wildcard in Tennis?
A wildcard is a direct entry into a tennis tournament given to a player who has not qualified through their ranking alone. In normal circumstances, players earn their place in a tournament draw through their official ATP or WTA ranking. The ranking cutoff for each tournament determines how high a player needs to be ranked to enter directly. Players ranked below that cutoff must go through qualifying or wait for a spot to open up.
A wildcard bypasses that ranking requirement entirely. It gives a player guaranteed access to the main draw or qualifying draw regardless of where they sit in the world rankings.
Why wildcards exist:
| Reason | Detail |
| Support local talent | Give home nation players tournament experience at the highest level |
| Reward returning players | Help players coming back from injury who have lost ranking points |
| Create compelling storylines | Low ranked players against top seeds generate fan interest |
| Develop young prospects | Give promising juniors or Challengers circuit players ATP or WTA exposure |
| Tournament discretion | Allow organisers to invite players who add value to the event |
The key difference between a wildcard and a direct entry:
A direct entry player earned their place through ranking. A wildcard player was invited. Both receive exactly the same treatment once the draw is made. They face the same opponents, play on the same courts, and compete for the same prize money as every other player in the draw.
How Many Wildcards Are Given at the Canadian Open?
The Canadian Open allocates a specific number of wildcards for both the main draw and qualifying draw at both the ATP Montreal and WTA Toronto events.
Wildcard allocation at the Canadian Open:
| Draw | Main Draw Wildcards | Qualifying Wildcards |
| ATP Montreal | Typically 8 wildcards | Additional qualifying wildcards |
| WTA Toronto | Typically 8 wildcards | Additional qualifying wildcards |
| Tennis Canada allocation | Majority of wildcards | Controls most Canadian player spots |
| ATP and WTA allocation | Small number reserved | Tour controls international wildcards |
How the allocation is divided:
The total wildcard allocation is split between Tennis Canada and the ATP and WTA tours. Tennis Canada controls the majority of wildcards and uses them primarily to support Canadian players and players with a strong connection to the tournament. The ATP and WTA tours each retain a small number of wildcards that they can award at their discretion, typically to high-profile players returning from injury or to players who would generate significant fan interest.
Why wildcard numbers matter:
With 96 players in each draw, wildcards represent a meaningful percentage of the total field. Eight wildcards in a 96-player draw means approximately 8% of the tournament field enters through invitation rather than ranking. That proportion gives Tennis Canada significant influence over which players compete at the Canadian Open each summer, particularly in supporting the next generation of Canadian tennis talent.
The exact wildcard allocation for 2026 will be confirmed by Tennis Canada on the official National Bank Open website before the draw is released in late July.
Who Decides Who Gets a Wildcard at the Canadian Open?
Wildcard decisions at the Canadian Open are made by a combination of Tennis Canada and the ATP and WTA tours, each controlling their own allocation according to different criteria and priorities.
Who controls each wildcard type:
| Authority | Wildcards Controlled | Primary Criteria |
| Tennis Canada | Majority of main draw and qualifying wildcards | Canadian player development, home nation talent |
| ATP Tour | Small reserved allocation | Returning players, high-profile international entries |
| WTA Tour | Small reserved allocation | Returning players, high-profile international entries |
How Tennis Canada selects wildcard recipients:
Tennis Canada uses several factors when deciding which players receive their wildcard allocation.
- Canadian nationality is the primary consideration for most Tennis Canada wildcards
- Performance on the Challenger circuit, ITF circuit, or national team competitions influences selection
- Players participating in the Road to NBO qualifying series earn wildcards through competitive results rather than selection alone
- Returning Canadian players coming back from injury may receive wildcards to help them rebuild ranking points
- Junior champions and highly ranked Canadian juniors transitioning to the professional tour are considered
How ATP and WTA wildcards are awarded:
The ATP and WTA tours make their wildcard decisions independently of Tennis Canada. These wildcards typically go to established international players who are returning from long-term injuries and have lost significant ranking points, or to players whose inclusion adds compelling storylines and fan interest to the tournament field.
Types of Wildcards at the Canadian Open
Not all wildcards at the Canadian Open work the same way. There are several distinct types of wildcard entries, each serving a different purpose within the tournament structure.
Wildcard types explained:
| Type | What It Is | Who Receives It |
| Main draw wildcard | Direct entry into the 96-player main draw | Selected Canadian players and ATP/WTA tour picks |
| Qualifying wildcard | Entry into the qualifying draw rather than the main draw | Lower ranked Canadian players and prospects |
| Protected ranking wildcard | Entry based on a player’s ranking before a long-term injury | Players returning from 6+ months injury absence |
| Special exempt | Reserved spot for players who withdrew from a previous edition | Players with specific circumstances approved by the tour |
Main draw wildcard:
The most valuable type of wildcard. A main draw wildcard gives a player direct access to the 96-player bracket, bypassing the qualifying rounds entirely. Victoria Mboko received a main draw wildcard for the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, which allowed her to compete directly against the world’s best players from the first round of the main draw.
Qualifying wildcard:
A qualifying wildcard gives a player entry into the qualifying rounds rather than the main draw. Players receiving qualifying wildcards must still win their qualifying matches to reach the main draw. This type of wildcard is typically given to promising Canadian players who are not yet ranked highly enough for a main draw spot but deserve competitive exposure at this level.
Protected ranking wildcard:
When a player suffers a long-term injury and misses significant tour time, they lose ranking points accumulated before the injury. A protected ranking allows them to enter tournaments based on their pre-injury ranking for a set period after returning to competition, effectively functioning as a form of wildcard entry that bypasses the current ranking requirement.
How Does the Road to NBO Work?
The Road to NBO is Tennis Canada’s official wildcard qualification programme for Canadian players, designed to give promising domestic talent a structured and merit-based pathway into the Canadian Open main draw.
Rather than selecting Canadian wildcards purely through subjective decision making, the Road to NBO creates a competitive process where Canadian players earn their wildcard spots through performance on court.
How the Road to NBO works:
| Element | Detail |
| Format | Series of qualifying tournaments for Canadian players |
| Eligibility | Canadian citizens competing on ATP or WTA tour |
| Prize | Main draw wildcard at the Canadian Open |
| Selection | Performance based, not purely subjective |
| Purpose | Reward Canadian players who are performing well domestically |
Why the Road to NBO matters:
Before programmes like Road to NBO existed, wildcard selection was entirely at the discretion of tournament organisers. A promising Canadian player had no guaranteed pathway to compete at their home Masters 1000 or WTA 1000 event regardless of how well they were performing.
The Road to NBO changes that by giving Canadian players a competitive route to earn their place in the draw. A player who performs well enough in the qualifying series earns the wildcard on merit rather than waiting to be selected.
Who has benefited from the Canadian wildcard programme:
Several of Canada’s most exciting young players have used wildcard entries at the Canadian Open as career launching pads. Gabriel Diallo made his Canadian Open main draw debut as a wildcard. Denis Shapovalov’s 2017 Montreal run that defeated Nadal came through a wildcard entry. These moments demonstrate exactly why Tennis Canada’s wildcard programme exists and what it can produce when the right player gets the opportunity.
Why Do Wildcards Go to Canadian Players?
The majority of Canadian Open wildcards go to Canadian players for reasons that go well beyond simple home nation favouritism. Tennis Canada has a genuine developmental mission that makes wildcard allocation to Canadian players one of the most strategically important decisions it makes each year.
Why Canadian players receive most wildcards:
| Reason | Detail |
| Home nation obligation | Tournament hosts traditionally support local player development |
| Fan engagement | Canadian crowds respond most passionately to home players |
| Development pathway | ATP and WTA experience accelerates young Canadian careers |
| Tennis Canada mandate | Supporting Canadian tennis at every level is the core mission |
| Ranking points opportunity | Canadian Open wildcards give domestic players rare top-level exposure |
The development argument:
Playing against the world’s best players in front of a home crowd at a Masters 1000 or WTA 1000 event is an irreplaceable development experience for young Canadian players. No Challenger event, no practice session, and no coaching programme can replicate the pressure and intensity of facing a top-10 player on Centre Court at IGA Stadium or Sobeys Stadium.
Tennis Canada recognises this and uses its wildcard allocation deliberately to expose promising Canadian players to that environment as early in their careers as possible.
The fan engagement argument:
Canadian crowds at both IGA Stadium and Sobeys Stadium respond to home players with an intensity that transforms the atmosphere of any match. When Felix Auger-Aliassime, Victoria Mboko, or Leylah Fernandez step onto court in Montreal or Toronto, the energy in the stadium changes immediately.
Wildcard entries for Canadian players create those moments deliberately, ensuring the home crowd has players to root for at every stage of the tournament regardless of how the draw unfolds for established Canadian professionals.
Famous Canadian Open Wildcard Moments
The history of the Canadian Open is filled with wildcard entries that produced moments nobody saw coming. Three in particular stand out as the most significant in the tournament’s recent history.
Victoria Mboko – 2025 Montreal (WTA)
The most dramatic wildcard story in Canadian Open history. Mboko entered the 2025 Montreal draw ranked 85th in the world and proceeded to defeat four former Grand Slam champions across six matches. Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka all fell to an 18 year old Canadian wildcard who had no business winning the tournament according to every pre-tournament prediction.
Her victory made her the third Canadian woman to win the Canadian Open and launched one of the most remarkable career trajectories in recent WTA history.
Bianca Andreescu – 2019 Toronto (WTA)
Andreescu entered the 2019 Toronto draw as a wildcard at 19 years old and defeated three top-10 players on her way to the final. She then defeated Serena Williams in the championship match when Williams retired due to back spasms, becoming the first Canadian woman to win the Canadian Open in 50 years.
Two months later she won the US Open, becoming the first Canadian player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Denis Shapovalov – 2017 Montreal (ATP)
Shapovalov entered the 2017 Montreal draw as a wildcard ranked 134th in the world at 18 years old. In the third round he defeated world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in straight sets, becoming the youngest player in history to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.
That single week launched his career and announced Canadian men’s tennis to the world in a way no other result could have matched.
What these moments have in common:
All three wildcard stories share the same elements. A young Canadian player. A home crowd willing them to succeed. A tournament that gave them the opportunity through a wildcard entry. And a performance that exceeded every expectation.
Famous Canadian Open Wildcard Moments
One important distinction that wildcard recipients and fans should understand is how ranking points work differently for wildcard entrants compared to direct entry players. Wildcard players who lose in the first round of the Canadian Open main draw receive zero ranking points for their appearance, unlike direct entry players who earn points for reaching the same round.
This rule exists across both the ATP and WTA tours and applies to all wildcard entries regardless of whether the wildcard was awarded by Tennis Canada or the tour itself.
For a complete explanation of how ATP and WTA ranking points work at the Canadian Open, including how points are awarded at every round for direct entry players, qualifying players, and seeded players, read our dedicated Canadian Open ranking points guide.
FAQs
Conclusion
Wildcards are one of the most important and most misunderstood parts of the Canadian Open draw. They are not lucky breaks given randomly to undeserving players. They are deliberate, carefully considered decisions that Tennis Canada uses to develop Canadian tennis, reward domestic talent, and create the kind of moments that make this tournament special every August.
Victoria Mboko. Bianca Andreescu. Denis Shapovalov. Three wildcard stories that became three of the greatest moments in Canadian Open history. None of them would have happened without Tennis Canada’s commitment to giving promising Canadian players the opportunity to compete at the highest level on home soil.
To follow which Canadian players receive wildcards for the 2026 Canadian Open, explore our complete player entry list and draw preview for confirmed entries and wildcard announcements.
