Former champ Bianca Andreescu to open latest NBO quest under the lights Sunday

TORONTO — Bianca Andreescu is back where she reached a high point.

The 26-year-old also resides — both body and mind — in a better place overall.

Andreescu will kick off her National Bank Open quest as a wild-card entry Sunday under the lights against Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia as the first round of the women’s bracket gets underway.

The Mississauga, Ont., product became the first Canadian in a half-century to win the country’s annual tennis showcase in 2019 at age 19, part of a memorable run capped by a U.S. Open victory less than a month later.

Andreescu was riding a big wave when a string of injuries and other issues sidetracked a career that had her ranked No. 4 in the world.

Now occupying the 174th spot and set to face Bartunkova, who’s currently slotted in at 41st on the WTA Tour, she reflected on how that magical summer impacts her journey some seven years later.

“What I did find that helps me the most is not staying stuck in, ‘How do I become that person or player again?'” Andreescu said Saturday at her opening press conference in the bowels of Sobeys Stadium. “It’s more about, ‘How can I use that to learn from, and then who am I now in 2026?’ A lot has happened since … it was my first full year on tour. I had nothing else to think about.”

She’s had plenty to ponder since.

The first and only Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title, Andreescu has three career WTA 1000 wins, but they all came in 2019. Looking for a reset, she decided to play some lower-tier events this season, including a couple of victories in Florida over the winter.

“It was more going back to my roots,” said Andreescu, whose last competitive match was a first-round loss at Wimbledon after making it through three rounds of qualifying. “It didn’t feel bizarre at all. I was just very grateful to be able to play those tournaments and go deep in them, because that was the whole goal for me. I got what I wanted.

“I’ve learned so much about myself. I know that I can play in any type of environment.”

The NBO is in its second year — and a Toronto first for the women — as a WTA 1000 tournament that includes a 12-day format featuring 96 competitors in the main draw.

The men’s side is slated for Montreal.

The women’s field poised to compete for a US$7.4-million purse features all five of the tour’s top-ranked players, including world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka.

Elena Rybakina, who claimed this year’s Australian Open, two-time NBO champion Jessica Pegula, two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff, and 2026 French Open titleholder Mirra Andreeva are also ready to compete on York University’s campus.

Coming off her first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon, Linda Noskova is the sixth seed and enters at No. 7 in the world.

Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., is the only seeded Canadian at No. 30 and has a bye to the second round.

“It would be probably one of the biggest titles, best memory,” the 23-year-old said of winning the NBO. “It’s a tournament that I first watched growing up as a young kid … it’s up there in my goals and dreams.”

Canadian phenom Victoria Mboko, who captured the 2025 title in Montreal, will miss this year’s tournament because of a knee injury.

Other wild-card entries on the Canadian side include Kayla Cross, Katherine Sebov, Cadence Brace, Rebecca Marino, Ariana Arseneault and Carol Zhao.

Venus Williams — a seven-time Grand Slam winner and four-time Olympic gold medallist — will make her 13th appearance in Canada. The 46-year-old’s best result came in 2014 when she defeated younger sister Serena to reach the final.

“I remember playing here the first time when I was like 15 or 16,” she said. “I was such a young person. I played the night match and I didn’t know what was going … I remember playing in this huge stadium and being a little bit overwhelmed.”

Andreescu knows what it’s like to stand on centre court in Toronto with the pressure on.

Sunday represents a first rung on this year’s NBO ladder.

“I do feel like I have that same joy, which I think to me, has been the biggest struggle over the years,” Andreescu said looking back to 2019. “Now with the amazing team that I have, they have really helped me enjoy the process a little bit more.

“And hopefully that gets me the win.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2026.