MONTREAL, July 18, 2018

While some of the biggest tennis stars have already confirmed their presence in Montreal for the 2018 edition of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, the qualifying matches also promise to feature some high quality tennis during the IGA Family Weekend. Tennis Canada announced Tuesday that seven of the Top 50 players in the world will compete in the qualifying draw on August 4 and 5 at IGA Stadium. Furthermore, fans will be able to access the site for free throughout the opening weekend (August 3 to 5). This is a unique opportunity to get closer to the best players in the world.

Among the players who are sure to draw attention is Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, currently ranked no. 24 in the world and a former member of the Top 10. She is expected to be the favourite in the qualifying draw. The Italian Camila Giorgi will be another player to keep an eye on, as she recently reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon, notably defeating Anastasija Sevastova and Ekaterina Makarova before eventually falling at the hands of Serena Williams in three sets. Thanks to her performance, Giorgi climbed up the rankings to the no. 35 spot this week, which is only five away from her career high ranking of no. 30 (2015). Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 2015 Rogers Cup champion, Australian Samantha Stosur, 2011 US Open champion, Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, 2015 Roland-Garros finalist, and Puerto Rican Monica Puig, gold medalist at the Rio Olympics, will also be taking part. The qualifying draw will be completed by wild cards, which will be announced at a later date. Click here to view the complete list of players set to compete in qualifying.

Several off-court activities will be taking place in addition to the entertainment being offered by the players. The tournament site will feature a variety of restaurants, shops, games, activities and promotions designed to create a festive atmosphere and provide fans with a memorable experience.