In an exciting announcement from Tennis Canada on Wednesday, a Grand Slam semifinalist is set to join the main draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, while a former Grand Slam finalist will enter the qualifying rounds.
Jack Draper, who once held the No. 4 spot in global rankings and reached the semifinals of the 2024 US Open, has been awarded one of the coveted wild cards for next week’s tournament. Joining him are fellow Canadians Alexis Galarneau and Liam Draxl, both champions of the 2026 Road to the NBO, who also received wild cards.
Meanwhile, Kei Nishikori, known for his stunning 2014 US Open semifinal victory over Novak Djokovic and subsequent appearance in the final against Marin Cilic, has secured a wild card into the qualifying draw. Nishikori, like Draper, reached the No. 4 pinnacle in the ATP rankings and will be joined by Canadians Duncan Chan, Keegan Rice, and Justin Boulais in the qualifying rounds.
With these wild card entries, the men’s side of the tournament will feature a total of eight Canadian players, highlighted by the No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Despite the withdrawals of both Jannik Sinner and Djokovic, along with Carlos Alcaraz, who is recovering from a wrist injury, Montreal will still welcome a star-studded lineup.
Wimbledon runner-up Alexander Zverev will take his place as the No. 1 seed, with Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, and Casper Ruud rounding out the top ten contenders.
The men’s tournament is poised to kick off on August 4, following the weekend’s thrilling qualifying rounds.
