National Bank Open 2026 Betting Tips | Canadian Open Predictions & Outright Picks

The National Bank Open field has been blown wide open before a ball has even been struck in Montreal. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both withdrew from the ATP Masters 1000 leg on 24 July, joining an already-absent Carlos Alcaraz – still sidelined by the wrist injury that cost him Roland-Garros and Wimbledon – and an injured Jack Draper. That leaves the top of the men’s draw at IGA Stadium without three of its four biggest names, turning this into one of the most wide-open Masters 1000 events of the season. Across in Toronto, the WTA 1000 field at Sobeys Stadium is close to full strength, with 72 of the world’s top 75 entered, though defending champion Victoria Mboko has pulled out with a left knee injury. Here are our betting tips, outright picks and each-way angles for both draws of the 2026 National Bank Open, which runs from 1-13 August with 96-player fields in both cities.

Montreal (ATP): Zverev the Firm Favourite in a Blown-Open Draw

With Alexander Zverev’s three biggest rivals all missing, Montreal’s IGA Stadium looks like his best chance yet to add a Masters 1000 title to his maiden Grand Slam from Roland-Garros. The German is the highest-ranked man left in the draw and should be considered the short-priced favourite. Behind him, the market opens up: Felix Auger-Aliassime plays a home Masters 1000 in his native Quebec for the ninth time, defending champion Ben Shelton returns to protect his 2025 title, and former champion Daniil Medvedev (2021) lurks alongside Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

Alexander Zverev to win the title

Zverev is the standout outright pick. He is the top seed by some distance once Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz are removed, arrives with a Grand Slam title and a Wimbledon final in his last two Majors, and has the hard-court pedigree to back up top billing. Expect a short-priced favourite – backing him each-way to reach the final offers protection against a second-week upset.

Felix Auger-Aliassime for home glory

No player benefits more from the draw thinning out than the Canadian himself. Auger-Aliassime is the world No. 4 and gets a home crowd roaring him on in Montreal. He won’t be many bookmakers’ picks to beat Zverev in a final, but each-way markets on a top-four or semi-final finish look like sensible value given the runway that has opened up.

Ben Shelton to go deep in defence of his title

Ben Shelton arrives as defending champion and, with three seeds above him now missing, has as strong a puncher’s chance as anyone of going back-to-back. His serve-and-forehand game travels well on North American hard courts, and his path to a second final looks considerably shorter than it did a month ago. Each-way on a repeat title, or a straight bet on the semi-finals, both look like sound tips.

Toronto (WTA): Sabalenka Heads a Near-Full-Strength Field

Unlike the men’s draw, the WTA 1000 leg at Sobeys Stadium has barely been touched by withdrawals – 72 of the top 75 are entered, one of the strongest fields on the 2026 calendar. The only meaningful absence is defending champion Victoria Mboko, out with a left knee injury. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka heads the draw, with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, Roland-Garros champion Mirra Andreeva and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova all in the same 96-player field. Throw in Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and 2025 runner-up Naomi Osaka, plus wild cards Bianca Andreescu (2019 champion) and Venus Williams, and this is as deep a Canadian Open field as the WTA has assembled in years.

Aryna Sabalenka to win the title

Aryna Sabalenka is the world No. 1 and the outright favourite on hard courts, her best surface, even after losing the Australian Open final to Rybakina in January. In a stacked but top-heavy draw, she looks the safest outright pick of the fortnight – expect her to be a short-priced favourite, with each-way (final or better) the sensible way to back her given the depth below her.

Elena Rybakina for outright value

Elena Rybakina’s power game is tailor-made for the hard courts of Toronto, and the Australian Open champion arrives as the form player of the year among the leading contenders. She represents each-way value against Sabalenka in the outright market – her serve alone can carry her through a draw this deep, and a repeat of their AO final would surprise nobody.

Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova as dark-horse angles

Two of the WTA’s brightest young stars arrive off maiden Major titles this season. Mirra Andreeva won Roland-Garros and has the all-court game to trouble anyone on a quick hard court, while Linda Noskova claimed Wimbledon in the first all-Czech Slam final and has shown she can handle the big occasion. Neither will be favoured to win the title outright, but both look overpriced in each-way and quarter-final/semi-final markets given how they have performed at the biggest events all year.

Value and Each-Way Angles

With three of the ATP’s top four missing in Montreal, each-way betting makes even more sense than usual – backing Auger-Aliassime or Shelton for a semi-final finish carries less risk than picking who beats Zverev in a final. In Toronto, the depth cuts the other way: with so many contenders in form, Coco Gauff stands out as an each-way price worth watching. The National Bank Open is also the last big hard-court test before the US Open swing, so form here is a useful guide to markets a few weeks later.

For the full breakdown of markets and odds as the draw is finalised, check our betting tips hub, and see our betting offers page for the latest sign-up deals from UK bookmakers. Prices this early are approximate and will move once seedings are locked in – always check current odds with your bookmaker of choice, such as Bet365, before placing a bet.

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How to Watch the National Bank Open

In the UK, live coverage of the National Bank Open is available through Sky Sports Tennis and NOW TV, covering both the Montreal and Toronto legs across the tournament’s 12 days.

Account holders also have another option: the Bet365 live streaming service offers live coverage of ATP and WTA matches to customers with a funded account or who have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.

To watch on Bet365:

1. Go to Bet365.com via this link
2. Register or log in, and ensure your account is funded or you’ve placed a bet in the last 24 hours
3. Select Tennis from the sports menu
4. Select the play icon next to any live National Bank Open match

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FAQs

Who is the favourite to win the men’s National Bank Open in 2026?

Alexander Zverev is the clear favourite after Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz all withdrew or remained absent from the Montreal draw, with Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime the leading alternatives.

Why are Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz missing from Montreal?

Sinner and Djokovic both withdrew on 24 July, with Sinner citing health and scheduling reasons. Alcaraz has been out since Roland-Garros with a wrist injury, and Jack Draper is absent through injury too.

Is defending WTA champion Victoria Mboko playing in Toronto?

No. Mboko has withdrawn from the 2026 National Bank Open with a left knee injury, so the WTA 1000 title in Toronto will have a new champion this year.

Where and when is the National Bank Open played?

The 2026 National Bank Open runs from 1-13 August, with the ATP Masters 1000 event at IGA Stadium in Montreal and the WTA 1000 event at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, each featuring a 96-player draw.