The aspirations for a back-to-back Canadian singles champion at the National Open have come to an unexpected end.
Leylah Fernandez bowed out of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers after a competitive 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16 held in Toronto on Sunday.
Ranked 30th, Fernandez hails from Laval, Quebec, and was the final Canadian player standing in the singles competition for both men’s and women’s events.
Last year’s champion, Victoria Mboko from Burlington, Ontario, was unable to defend her title because of an injury.
Osaka, the 11th seed, is set to clash with the second-seeded Elena Rybakina in the upcoming quarterfinals.
At just 23, Fernandez had a strong start, securing wins in her first two matches without dropping a set against Renata Zarazua and fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva.
However, she faltered against Osaka, who outclassed the local favorite, sealing the victory with her seventh ace to clinch match point.
Osaka, who faced defeat against Mboko in the 2025 NBO final, dominated with impressive serving stats, winning 76% of her points on first serve and 75% on second, while being broken only once by Fernandez.
There’s still hope for Canada in the NBO men’s doubles, as the pairing of Alexis Galarneau and Duncan Chan prepares to take on the third-seeded duo of Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo in the quarterfinals on Monday.
