WTA Toronto Day 1 Predictions

Former champion Bianca Andreescu is the headline act on Day 1 of the WTA National Bank Open in Toronto as she takes on fast-rising Czech Nikola Bartunkova. Who will advance to the next round?

WTA Toronto Day 1 Predictions

Rebecca Sramkova vs Anna Blinkova

Head-to-head: Blinkova 1-0 Sramkova

Both women won their qualifying matches to reach the main draw. Blinkova’s win over Heather Watson ends a three-match losing streak. The Russian’s form is normally difficult to read. She can look out of sorts for weeks, and then suddenly put together a deep run in one tournament. Sramkova has clearly looked the better player at the start of this swing, winning three of her last four matches. As long as the Slovak lands a high percentage of first serves, the rest of her game clicks and she is much harder to contain.

Prediction: Sramkova in 2

Talia Gibson vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto

Head-to-head: first meeting

Gibson made waves in the spring when she won a combined 11 matches in Indian Wells and Miami. But the Australian has struggled to string wins since the start of April. She has recorded three main draw wins and has dropped almost 20 spots from her career high ranking of No. 55. Cocciaretto arrives in Toronto riding the confidence of an outstanding week in Washington, D.C., where she beat Clara Tauson and Emma Navarro on her way to the quarterfinal. That said, Gibson is likely to snap out of this slump sooner, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she turns it around in Toronto.

Prediction: Gibson in 2

Yulia Putintseva vs Zhang Shuai

Head-to-head: Putintseva 7-2 Zhang

Putintseva and Zhang have met nine times, which is unsurprising for two veterans in the sport. The Kazakh leads 7-2 and has won most of their matches on hard courts. Putintseva has a spate of early exits in this tournament, but made the quarterfinals on her last trip to Toronto four years ago. At 37, Zhang continues to defy expectations with her veteran know-how and instinctive tennis. Still, if Putintseva is fully engaged, she is one of the toughest competitors on any surface. And that head-to-head suggests this is a favorable matchup for the former World No. 20.

Prediction: Putintseva in 3

Bianca Andreescu vs Nikola Bartunkova

Head-to-head: first meeting

Andreescu famously won this tournament during her breakout season in 2019, but recent trips to the National Bank Open have been disappointing. Last year, the Canadian endured another heartbreak when the event was held in Montreal. She was forced to withdraw before her second-round match due to injury. Andreescu may well be the underdog here. Bartunkova is sitting at a career-high ranking of No. 41 and has defeated some top names this season. Still, I think Andreescu’s variety could well be the difference, and she’s enjoyed an injury-free stretch in 2026. The Toronto crowd will be up for it, and if Andreescu can throw in her exceptional slice and keep Bartunkova moving, she might draw enough errors from the Czech’s aggressive game.

Prediction: Andreescu in 3

Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

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