Kayla Cross, Ariana Arseneault, and Dan Martin exit early as Eugenie Bouchard begins her farewell tournament at the National Bank Open in Montreal.
Canadian Hopes Dimmed in Opening Round
Canada’s early dreams at the 2025 National Bank Open were dealt a major blow on Monday as Kayla Cross and Ariana Arseneault were eliminated in first-round action at Montreal’s IGA Stadium. Their defeats came ahead of Eugenie Bouchard’s emotional farewell match in her final professional tournament.
Cross and Arseneault Outclassed in Early Matches
Kayla Cross of London, Ontario, lost a tough three-set battle against Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova, despite taking the opening set 6-4. The 20-year-old Canadian, ranked 151st globally, was overpowered in the second and third sets, losing 6-3, 6-2 in a match lasting 1 hour and 55 minutes. This marked her first career meeting with the 62nd-ranked Russian on the WTA Tour.
Meanwhile, Ariana Arseneault of Richmond Hill faced former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and struggled to gain traction, falling 6-4, 6-2. Osaka now advances to face Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the second round.
Bouchard’s Farewell Takes Centre Stage
The spotlight turned to Montreal native Eugenie Bouchard on Monday night. The 31-year-old, who announced her retirement earlier this summer, kicked off her final WTA event in her hometown. Bouchard, a former world No. 5, faced Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in a sentimental match that attracted a large local crowd eager to bid farewell.
Bouchard, who helped put Canadian women’s tennis on the map, was praised in the build-up to the tournament for inspiring a new generation of players.
Other Canadian Women Make Strong Starts
Despite the early exits, several Canadian women found success in their opening-round matches. Bianca Andreescu, Victoria Mboko, and Rebecca Marino advanced to the second round on Sunday. However, Andreescu’s status remains uncertain after she appeared to injure her left ankle during her win over Barbora Krejcikova.
Carson Branstine, representing Canada through family ties in Toronto, was also set to compete in a high-profile match against Greece’s Maria Sakkari late Monday night.
Martin Falls in Toronto Men’s Draw
In Toronto, Canadian qualifier Dan Martin suffered a straight-sets defeat to Spain’s Jaume Munar, falling 6-3, 6-0. The 26-year-old Martin, ranked 560th in the world, managed just 40% of his first-serve points and failed to generate a single break opportunity.
Munar, ranked 51st, displayed dominance with six aces and five service breaks, finishing the match in just over an hour.
More Canadians to Compete in Main Draw
Later in the day, two more Canadians were scheduled to take the court. Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ontario, prepared to face Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta, while Laval native Alexis Galarneau was slated to meet Arthur Rinderknech of France.
As the tournament progresses, Canadian fans now look to their remaining representatives for a resurgence in both Montreal and Toronto.
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