Carol Zhao, a 31-year-old tennis player from Richmond Hill, Ont., has been granted a main-draw wild card for the upcoming National Bank Open. This tournament is set to be the final one of her career, as she confirmed earlier this year that the 2026 season would mark her last on the WTA Tour. Zhao turned professional in 2016.
Tennis Canada announced the wild card on Sunday, also confirming that fellow Richmond Hill native Ariana Arseneault would receive one of the final two women’s singles wild cards. The tournament is scheduled to begin next Saturday at Sobeys Stadium.
These two Canadian players will join a distinguished group of main-draw wild card recipients. Among them are seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, along with other Canadian players such as Bianca Andreescu, Kayla Cross, Katherine Sebov, Cadence Brace, and Rebecca Marino.
Wild Card Selections and Player Recognition
Noelle van Lottum, head of women’s tennis at Tennis Canada, issued a statement expressing enthusiasm for the selections. Van Lottum highlighted Ariana Arseneault’s improving game, noting that she is positioning herself to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Regarding Carol Zhao, Van Lottum acknowledged her long-standing reputation as a respected figure in Canadian tennis and expressed delight in offering her the chance to compete in her home tournament one final time.
Kayla Cross, a 21-year-old from London, also secured a wild card for the National Bank Open. She earned her spot by winning the Granby National Bank Championships after a semifinal victory over American Elizabeth Mandlik, with a score of 2-1 (5-7, 7-6 (9), 6-2). Cross then went on to win the final in straight sets against Japan’s Sara Saito. Cross expressed her excitement to return to the tournament she watched and dreamed of playing while growing up.
The women’s draw of the National Bank Open is scheduled to run from August 1-13. Kayla Cross’s wild card was the third to be announced, following those awarded to Venus Williams and Bianca Andreescu, who won the National Bank Open and U.S. Open in 2019.
In addition to the singles wild cards, Tennis Canada also allocated doubles wild cards. These were awarded to the teams of Bianca Andreescu and Kayla Cross, and to sisters Leylah and Bianca Fernandez from Laval, Que.
Other Canadian Tennis Updates
The tournament will, however, be without Victoria Mboko, a Canadian player who won last year’s National Bank Open title in Montreal. She will miss this year’s event due to a knee injury.
Beyond the tennis courts, other sports news includes London Knights prospect Cooper McAslan, a 17-year-old from Bowmanville. He was named to Hockey Canada’s 27-player national men’s summer under-18 team training camp roster. This camp, which includes 10 OHL players, is set to open Monday in Edmonton.
McAslan had a notable season with the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s London Nationals, where he recorded eight goals and 37 points in 38 games. He also contributed two assists in four games with the Knights and participated in four of the club’s five playoff games against Sault Ste. Marie. The national under-18 team, coached by North Bay Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen, aims to improve upon their third-place finish last year. Their tournament will take place from August 3-8 in Edmonton.
In football, the undefeated London Jr. Mustangs are preparing to face the Cumberland Panthers in the Ontario Summer Football League U16 AAA provincial final. This championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Western Alumni Stadium. The Jr. Mustangs, coached by Matt Snyder, completed their regular season with a 7-0 record. They advanced to the final by defeating the Oakville Titans 28-7 and the Brampton Bulldogs 42-12 in the playoffs. The Cumberland Panthers also hold an undefeated record of 9-0, having secured their spot in the final by beating the Hamilton Jr. Tiger-Cats 24-6 in their semifinal match.
The U14 AA Jr. Mustangs will also compete for a title, facing the Peterborough Warriors in the Dan Grossi Cup title game on Friday at 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, the London Majors baseball team is bolstering its roster for the latter part of the Canadian Baseball League season. The team has signed outfielder Jordan Lewis of Brampton and right-handed pitcher Daniel Orfaly of British Columbia. These additions were made ahead of Friday’s game against the Barrie Baycats at 7:05 p.m. at Labatt Park.
Lewis, who is 6-foot-2 and weighs 205 pounds, had a strong season as a graduate student at the University of Fort Lauderdale, hitting .340 with 35 runs batted in and 44 stolen bases in 45 games. Orfaly, a six-foot, 180-pound pitcher, compiled a 15-7 record with a 4.91 earned-run average over four seasons with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. In his final collegiate season, he recorded a 7.52 strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate and walked only 22 batters over 52 2/3 innings. The London Majors are also scheduled to play in Brantford on Saturday at 2 p.m. before returning home on Sunday to play Hamilton at 4:05 p.m.
Source: theglobeandmail.com
