The North American hard-court swing officially ignites with a structural shift that changes how fans consume the early rounds. For the second consecutive year, the National Bank Open presented by Rogers employs an expanded 96-player singles draw format, stretching the tournament across 12 days instead of the traditional seven. While the 32 seeded players in both the WTA 1000 event in Toronto and the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal enjoy first-round byes—keeping them off the courts until Tuesday or Wednesday—the opening rounds present a dense schedule filled with home favorites, past champions, and dangerous qualifiers.
For viewers tuning in from home, navigating the global broadcast network requires a clear roadmap as action gets underway on Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Domestic and International Streaming Logistics
Canadian fans have multiplatform access via Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, which are providing exclusive coverage alongside select matches and highlights on CBC Sports. Day sessions on opening Sunday begin at 12:30 p.m. ET for the women in Toronto (broadcast on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+) and 11 a.m. ET for the men in Montreal (airing on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+). Evening sessions for both tournaments kick off at 7 p.m. ET.
In the United States, live coverage is anchored by the Tennis Channel, with streaming options widely available through platforms like Fubo and DirecTV. Tennis fans looking for dedicated digital feeds can also utilize Tennis TV for men's ATP matches and WTA TV in eligible territories.
International viewers across Great Britain can rely on Sky Sports Tennis and NOW TV, while European markets feature localized coverage through partners including Eurosport, Sky Sport, Canal+, SuperTennis, and beIN Sports. Australian audiences can follow the action via beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS Connect.
Opening Sunday Storylines and Schedule Highlights
The expanded draw brings immediate theater to Sobeys Stadium in Toronto and IGA Stadium in Montreal. On Centre Court in Toronto, 46-year-old Venus Williams opens play against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova. Williams enters the week holding a 2-6 singles record on the season, reflecting on her long history in Canada: I remember playing here the first time when I was like 15 or 16. I was such a young person. I played the night match and I didn't know what was going on. But I learned a lot since that time. Folks in Canada are so nice,
Williams told reporters on Saturday.
The spotlight also shines brightly on past champion Bianca Andreescu. Playing on home soil as a wild card, Andreescu returns to Toronto seeking to put behind her the bitter ending of last year's run in Montreal, where an ankle injury in the final game of her opener derailed her momentum. Ranked 174th after battling a series of injuries since her breakout 2019 title run, Andreescu draws a difficult evening test against 20-year-old Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia, who enters with notable hard-court wins over Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys this season.
Over in Montreal, local hopes rest heavily on Gabriel Diallo. Enduring a difficult 9-17 campaign in 2026 that has dropped him to No. 99 in the rankings, the Montrealer received a wild card and opens his tournament in the featured night session against French qualifier Kyrian Jacquet.
Broadcast Team and Retirement Milestone
The 2026 tournament also marks a poignant broadcast milestone. Veteran broadcaster Rob Faulds will call the action on Centre Court in Montreal alongside analyst Jimmy Arias as the final assignment of a remarkable 51-year career in sports broadcasting. In Toronto, Jack Michaels handles play-by-play alongside analyst Tracy Austin, with Bray Fay hosting Tennis Central alongside Genie Bouchard and Jan-Michael Gambill.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- tennisconnected.com original
- Mike Koreen original
- wtatennis.com original
- Claudia Frutti original
- sg.news.yahoo.com original
- sportingnews.com original
- tsn.ca original
