Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka is set to compete at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto as she looks to recover from disappointment at Wimbledon. The world number one is determined to strengthen her hard court record ahead of the US Open, where she will defend her title.

Sabalenka has been dominant on hard courts this year, winning 23 of 24 matches. Her only loss on this surface came in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. However, her recent performances on clay and grass have been less convincing, with a quarter-final exit at Roland Garros and a round of 16 loss at Wimbledon.

With the Toronto tournament alternating annually between Montreal and Toronto, Sabalenka has yet to progress beyond the semi-finals in Canada. She acknowledged taking a much-needed break following her Wimbledon exit, spending several days on holiday in Mykonos, Greece, before returning refreshed and focused.

"I tried some things on clay and grass that didn’t go as planned," Sabalenka said. "Now I am back to basics and hopeful for a strong showing." She also highlighted the demanding schedule following the grass court season, which includes consecutive tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati before the US Open begins on August 30.

Toronto Draw Highlights

  • Sabalenka heads the top half, facing competition from third seed Jessica Pegula, 2024 finalist Amanda Anisimova, and seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek.
  • Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, aims to bounce back after a third-round Wimbledon exit.
  • The bottom half features Rybakina, fourth seed Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and newly crowned Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
  • Noskova, now a top 10 player, could meet rising star Alexandra Eala in the third round.

Notable absences include Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova, recovering from surgery, and reigning Canadian champion Victoria Mboko, sidelined with a knee injury.

Sabalenka is aware that failure to reach the round of 16 in Toronto could see Rybakina overtake her as world number one if the Kazakh wins the event.

Play commenced on Sunday with high-profile matches such as Venus Williams facing Kamilla Rakhimova and Canada's Bianca Andreescu taking on Nikola Bartunkova.