Naomi Osaka makes WTA return as top seed at 2021 National Bank Open in Montreal

The seeds for the National Bank Open (Rogers Cup) in Montreal were announced on Monday, with Naomi Osaka headlining the list of players in the WTA edition.

The World No.2 had taken a hiatus from tennis, but recently returned to compete at the Olympic Games in her homeland of Japan. With the Rogers Cup set to kick off in a week, Osaka will be vying for her first National Bank Open title.

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Joining the Japanese superstar will be World No.3 Aryna Sabalenka, who is seeded second at the event. Defending champion Bianca Andreescu is the tournament's fourth seed, whereas two-time champion Simona Halep (2016, 2018) will be the ninth seed. Recent Olympic Gold medalist Belinda Bencic is seeded 11th, while two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka is entered as the 15th seed.

The National Bank Open will be held from August 6-15, 2021.

2021 National Bank Open women's seeds:

1. Naomi Osaka

2. Aryna Sabalenka

3. Sofia Kenin

4. Bianca Andreescu

5. Elina Svitolina

6. Karolina Pliskova

7. Iga Swiatek

8. Garbine Muguruza

9. Simona Halep

10. Barbora Krejcikova

11. Belinda Bencic

12. Petra Kvitova

13. Jennifer Brady

14. Victoria Azarenka

15. Elise Mertens

16. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova