Naomi Osaka Eyes Better Toronto Run After Montreal Final Last Year

Osaka hopes to improve in Toronto 

Naomi Osaka seeded 11th in Toronto as WTA 1000 Event Moves Cities. Osaka chasing confidence before US Open.

Osaka looks to flip Toronto history after strong Washington semi-final...

Naomi Osaka is hoping the momentum from her Montreal run in 2024 carries over now that the WTA 1000 event in Canada has moved to Toronto. Last year in Montreal, the Japanese star reached the final before losing to Victoria Mboko.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is coming in off a strong week in Washington, where she made the semi-finals on hard courts before losing to eventual winner Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.

“I did better than last year in DC, so I'm just hoping to keep the ball rolling,” Osaka said.

“I haven't historically played super, super well here, so I'm just hoping to change that this year.”

"I can try to recall Montreal, but I would like to kind of treat the cities separately,” added Osaka, who made the Toronto quarter-finals back in 2019 - her best result in the city. Toronto and Montreal alternate hosting duties for the Canadian WTA 1000 each year.

The former world No. 1 is seeded 11th this week and is looking to build form with the US Open starting August 31.

Osaka won her fourth and most recent major at the 2021 Australian Open, and hasn’t hit those same heights since returning from an extended maternity break in 2023.

She did reach the US Open semi-finals last year, made the French Open round of 16 for the first time this season, and then set a new career-best with a Wimbledon quarter-final.

“I would just hope to gain a lot of confidence leading into New York,” she said. “I lost my last match, but it's helped me figure out what I want to do exactly, or how I want to take my tennis.”

Osaka landed in the same quarter as No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina, the Australian Open champion. If she gets through, a fourth-round meeting with No. 5 seed and French Open winner Mirra Andreeva could be on the cards.

🇯🇵Naomi Osaka arrived in Toronto today for her first practice session ahead of @NBOtoronto.

The pop sound on her serves is next level.

Osaka was crushing the ball in practice. #NBO26 pic.twitter.com/l8Sm2dNCSh

— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) August 4, 2026

Andreeva was stunned in round two at Wimbledon, and she has a tough opener here against former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. Pliskova advanced on Monday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova.

Osaka starts her tournament against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy. Udvardy advanced after Eva Lys retired down 2-6, 7-6(3), 2-0. Lys had led the second set 5-2 before the injury forced her out.

Sunday’s rain delays backed up the draw, leaving a crowded slate for day 2 of first-round matches.

Elsewhere, Poland’s Magdalena Frech beat France’s Leolia Jeanjean 7-5, 6-3. The win sets up a second-round clash with No. 3 seed and two-time champion Jessica Pegula.

Pegula got past Frech last week en route to the Washington final, where the American was beaten by Eala in Monday’s rain-delayed championship match.

In other opening-round results, American Kayla Day rallied past France’s Diane Parry 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. The win earns Day a meeting with No. 4 seed Coco Gauff.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka heads the field as the top seed. After early exits at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, the Belarusian will look to re-establish herself on hard courts - the surface where her only loss this season came against Rybakina in the Australian Open final.