Top ladies pull out of Montreal occasion post-Olympics

The National Bank Open will be missing some big names as tennis stars Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Barbora Krejcikova, Jasmine Paolini and others have withdrawn from the upcoming event in Montreal, Tennis Canada announced Friday.

In withdrawing, five-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1 Swiatek of Poland cited fatigue related to the Paris Olympics, where she defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-1 to capture the bronze medal after suffering a semifinal upset to China’s Zheng Qinwen.

“I’m sorry to announce that due to overall fatigue caused by the last couple of weeks on the court, I need to withdraw from the tournament in Toronto,” said Swiatek.

“Due to an intense tennis schedule with the Olympics taking place this year and changing surfaces, I need more time to rest and recover in order to be ready to play the US swing in good health and at my best possible level. Looking forward to playing in Toronto next time!”

A thigh injury will keep Krejcikova out, according to Tennis Canada. The Czech, who returned to the WTA Top 10 after winning Wimbledon, reached the quarter-finals of both the singles and women’s doubles at the OIympics.

“The past four weeks have been incredible; however, the intense schedule has taken a toll on my body, and I need to prioritize my health to ensure I can continue competing at my best,” said Krejcikova. “Thank you for your understanding and support, and I look forward to returning to the court soon.”

No. 4 Rybakina will also miss the Montreal event due to ongoing acute bronchitis, which also prevented her from competing for Kazakhstan in the Olympics.

“Despite my best efforts to recover in time, my current health condition does not allow me to compete at the level required,” said Rybakina. “Competing in Canada is always a special experience and I am looking forward to performing there again next year.”

Other main draw withdrawals include Italy’s Paolini (No. 5), Maria Sakkari of Greece (No. 8), American Danielle Collins (No. 9), Czech Marketa Vondrousova (No. 18) and France’s Caroline Garcia (No. 26), all of whom participated in the Paris Olympics.

The main draw will now feature Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens of the United States.

–Field Level Media