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National Bank Open draw event in Montreal, on July 31, 2026 (Gareth Madoc-Jones, CityNews)<\/p>\nF\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime now knows his path to potential glory.<\/p>\n
The National Bank Open presented by Rogers men\u2019s draw was completed Friday ahead of the Canadian tennis championship getting underway this weekend. The tournament will take place at the IGA stadium in Montreal from Aug. 1 to 13. <\/p>\n
Ranked a career-high fourth on the ATP Tour and set to take centre stage in his hometown as the No. 2 seed, Montreal-born Auger-Aliassime will kick things off in the second round against either Luca Van Assche or a qualifier.<\/p>\n
And if Auger-Aliassime advances through the bracket, the 25-year-old could eventually meet French Open finalist and No. 6 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy in the quarterfinals. He has never won an ATP Masters 1000 title, while a Canadian hasn\u2019t captured the event\u2019s singles competition in the Open era. <\/p>\n
National Bank Open draw event in Montreal, on July 31, 2026 (Gareth Madoc-Jones, CityNews)<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that he\u2019s going to feel some tension,\u201d said Val\u00e9rie T\u00e9treault, the tournament\u2019s director. \u201cHe\u2019s going to be a little bit nervous when he first walks on centre court and he hears the crowd. But I\u2019m really hoping that he can find a way basically to use the energy that the crowd will be giving him. And I think he\u2019s looking forward to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Val\u00e9rie T\u00e9treault, vice-president of communications at Tennis Canada and tournament director, at the National Bank Open draw event in Montreal, July 31, 2026 (Gareth Madoc-Jones, CityNews)<\/p>\n
CityNews spoke to fans from far and wide who would like to see the local star keep the trophy at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see Felix get the W (win),\u201d said Karim Abdul-Azziz. \u201cWe want him to bring the gold for Montreal, the trophy. Hopefully he\u2019s going to overcome adversity and win and he\u2019s going to make us proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been a fan of Felix,\u201d New Yorker Parker Lee. \u201cHe\u2019s a great player, he\u2019s fun to watch. I always pull for him, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n
World No. 2 Alexander Zverev of Germany is the top-seeded player at the National Bank Open, but three of the top five tennis players including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner will be absent from this tournament meaning it\u2019s an opportunity for other players to break through.<\/p>\n
Zverev could face No. 7 Taylor Fritz of the U.S. in the quarters, while fellow American Ben Shelton, who hoisted the trophy at last year\u2019s event in Toronto, and 2021 winner Daniil Medvedev are also on course for a clash at the same stage.<\/p>\n
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French tennis player Ga\u00ebl Monfils speaks to reports during the National Bank Open draw event in Montreal, on July 31, 2026 (Gareth Madoc-Jones, CityNews)<\/p>\n
\u201cTop three are not here, you try to play the best every match in and out,\u201d Medvedev told reporters at the draw Friday. \u201cOf course, if you talk about quarters and semis, maybe you have a bit more opportunities when they\u2019re not here. But to get to quarters and semis, you need to beat a lot of top players, tough opponents. And I know that when I play my best tennis, I can bring trouble to everyone. So that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to try to do here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tournament that alternates between men\u2019s and women\u2019s tennis each year is a popular destination for certain players such as Ga\u00ebl Monfils and Medvedev.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody speaks French, definitely knows a little bit more your personality, understand a little bit more where you\u2019re from,\u201d Monfils said. \u201cAnd definitely it\u2019s something amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what makes it special is that I made my first Masters 1000 final here in Montreal,\u201d Medvedev said. \u201cThat was a great moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans in Montreal will be cheering on Auger-Aliassime hoping he can repeat Victoria Mboko\u2019s win last year, but they will also be supporting other Canadian players such as Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., who\u2019s ranked No. 68 in the world, opens against Zachary Svajda of the United States.<\/p>\n
Montreal\u2019s Gabriel Diallo \u2014 ranked No. 99 \u2014 will face a qualifier in the first round. Canadian wild-card entry Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., opens against Spain\u2019s Daniel Merida, while Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., meets Czechia\u2019s Vit Kopriva.<\/p>\n
The NBO is set to hold a qualifying round Saturday.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tNational Bank Open trophy seen at the draw event in Montreal, on July 31, 2026 (Gareth Madoc-Jones, CityNews) <\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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