The stars are out in force in Toronto for the WTA Canadian Open and Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek are among those looking to win the title for the first time.
Victoria Mboko sprang a surprise in last season’s tournament, with the Canadian teenager defeating Naomi Osaka to claim the biggest win of her career, but the home favorite is a high-profile absentee due to a knee injury.
American ace Jessica Pegula is a two-time winner, having been crowned champion in 2023 and 2024, and the Wimbledon quarter-finalist will hope to bring up the hat-trick.
Coco Gauff is another who may have high hopes while French Open champion Mirra Andreeva and Wimbledon heroine Linda Noskova may also have their supporters.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka has looked resurgent this season and was runner-up to Mboko 12 months ago, while Marta Kostyuk continues to improve at a rate of knots.
Canadian Open WTA betting picks and predictions
Jessica Pegula to win (+1000)
This is a title that has evaded world number one Sabalenka and six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek and, with both housed in the top half of the draw, this may be a good opportunity for Pegula in conditions she clearly relishes.
Sabalenka is unbeatable when at her best but she has not claimed silverware since winning the Miami Open in March and has been out of action since her fourth-round exit at Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, Swiatek is clearly at her strongest under slower conditions and she has not won a title since winning the Korea Open in September last year.
That means Pegula could be the player that they all have to beat in the top half of the draw and she loves this quick surface, having taken this title in 2023 and 2024.
Pegula continues to hold her form well. She finished runner-up to Noskova on the grass in Berlin, form which looks stronger now after the Czech won Wimbledon, before making the quarter-finals at the All England Club.
The American built on that with another final appearance in Washington, where she defeated Diana Shnaider in the last four and they could meet again in round four in Toronto.
On current form, Pegula may have the measure of Swiatek in the quarter-finals while Sabalenka is not sure to see off Elina Svitolina or Amanda Anisimova in the first quarter.
Naomi Osaka to win (+1600)
Having played so well on her way to the final of last year’s renewal, Osaka has to be on the radar of plenty in Toronto.
It is easy to forget that Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion on a hard court, having twice won both the Australian Open and the US Open, and everything suggests that she is rediscovering her peak form.
Osaka was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon and there was no shame in suffering a semi-final defeat to the talented Alexandra Eala in Washington last time out.
The Japanese superstar is in a tough quarter of the draw, where she may have to beat Andreeva and Rybakina just to make the semi-finals, but she is one of the form players on the WTA Tour at present and should have little to fear.
Alexandra Eala to win (+3300)
Mboko claimed a breakthrough win in this tournament last year, with the 18-year-old wildcard jumping from world number 333 to 34th in the rankings as a result, but she is forced to miss out through injury.
Those looking for a big-priced selection should take a chance on rising star Eala, with the 21-year-old more than capable of soon challenging for Grand Slam titles.
The Philippines player has won two WTA 125 titles and made the Washington Open final on Sunday, which is her first at WTA 500 level.
With Gauff struggling for consistency and Noskova making her first appearance since winning Wimbledon on July 11, the third quarter may not be a bad place to be.
Canadian Open WTA odds
Aryna Sabalenka | +240 |
Elena Rybakina | +650 |
Iga Swiatek | +1000 |
Jessica Pegula | +1000 |
Coco Gauff | +1200 |
Mirra Andreeva | +1200 |
Naomi Osaka | +1600 |
Linda Noskova | +1800 |
Marta Kostyuk | +2200 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
