Line Calls, presented by FanDuel: Will Aryna Sabalenka win the title in Toronto? 

Zheng Qinwen was the big winner at the Olympic Games, but we’re now onto hard-court season. Most of the top women in the world will be in Toronto this week, with Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini the notable absentees. But we’ll still see players like Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and many others battling it out for this 1000-level title. Keep reading for a tournament preview and a player to back on the futures market.

National Bank Open Past Champions

• 2018: Simona Halep
• 2019: Bianca Andreescu
• 2020: Not held
• 2021: Camila Giorgi
• 2022: Simona Halep
• 2023: Jessica Pegula

National Bank Open Odds

• Aryna Sabalenka (+300)
• Coco Gauff (+340)
• Naomi Osaka (+1200)
• Emma Navarro (+1600)
• Jelena Ostapenko (+1800)
• Jessica Pegula (+2500)
• Paula Badosa (+2500)
• Ons Jabeur (+2600)
• Leylah Fernandez (+2900)
• Elina Svitolina (+2900)

👉 For more odds, head to FanDuel Sportsbook

National Bank Open Conditions

The court conditions in Toronto are fast, but they’re not as quick as they are in Montreal. This should be a low-bouncing event that makes things a little easier on servers and players with real punch from the baseline.

National Bank Open Players To Watch

• Coco Gauff (+340): Gauff is coming off a tough outing at the Olympics, losing in the third round to Donna Vekic, and in the second round with Jessica Pegula in doubles (as the top-seeded team). She will now try to flush a disappointing week and find a way to win in Toronto. However, I’d be more interested in fading the American at some point here. Gauff’s forehand is still very shaky, and her serve got away from her in Paris. Moving to much quicker conditions likely won’t help much. Honestly, the best thing that can happen here is that Gauff loses early, giving her a more favorable payout at the US Open. I like the defending champion to find herself in New York.
• Leylah Fernandez (+2900): Fernandez has had an up-and-down season; she’s just 20-16 on the year. But the Canadian is going to have the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand in Toronto, and she’s always a tough player to beat when she’s rolling. Fernandez doesn’t give up on any balls, and she has the ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court. I also like her draw quite a bit, as Pegula and Madison Keys are the top-seeded players in her quarter. Both of those players are beatable right now, so I wouldn’t be shocked if the Canadian goes deep in front of her fans.

National Bank Open Pick To Win

Emma Navarro (+1600): There’s a pretty good chance this ends tournament goes to a player like Sabalenka, whose power game makes her a great fit for these courts. But Sabalenka didn’t look very sharp in Washington D.C., so this feels like the type of tournament to take a longer shot. Well, Navarro is a player that I like a lot here. The American has a pretty reasonable draw up until the quarterfinals, where she’d likely see Paula Badosa or Jelena Ostapenko. But Navarro is fully capable of beating either player, and we have also seen the American beat Sabalenka before. Navarro is a really good defensive player, but she’s also powerful and precise from the baseline. I also like her serving and returning on a quicker court. Navarro is poised to win a big singles title soon, and I can see it happening here.