Aryna Sabalenka skips Montreal tournament to focus on US Open

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka revealed she will miss the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada, in order to focus on the upcoming US Open.

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    Sabalenka is without a slam this year, having not recently exited Wimbledon at the semi-final stage and the US Open represents her final chance in 2025.

    The Belruasin returns to North America as the reigning US Open Champion, having beaten Jessica Pegula in the final but she will not be featuring at the Canadian Open after she opted to skip it.

    "I'm looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I've decided it's in my best interest to skip Montreal," Sabalenka said via a Tennis Canada press release.

    "I'll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you all next year. Thanks for your understanding and support. It means the world to me!"

    Sabalenka reached the quarter finals of the tournament last year, losing to Amanda Anisimova, and has never won the event.

    The 27-year-old is expected to feature at the Cincinnati Open where she will look to defend her title before her US Open campaign kicks off.

    Sabalenka is facing the prospect of a slam-less year for the first time since 2022 but said after her Wimbledon defeat that even if she ends 0/4, it has been a good year.

    "Well, I think that's impressive. I'm already qualified for [the WTA Finals in] Riyadh. We are just in the middle. Maybe not really in the middle, but kind of like in the middle of the season. I already qualified. Never happened before.

    "I think even though I lost a lot of finals, I lost tough matches at the slams this year, I still think that the consistency I was able to bring till this moment, it's impressive.

    "Still a lot of things to be proud of. This experience shows that next year I'm only hungrier and angrier. These tough defeats help me to come back much stronger.

    "I have huge hopes for the next year.

    "I lost three semis, three tough ones. Then I was banned from playing. Then I was injured. So I have really more of a hate relationship right now with Wimbledon, but I really hope that one day I will, yeah, turn it around and have love relationship.

    "Of course, if one day I'm going to be able to win it, of course, I'm going to look back on all of these tough losses and think that I still did it.

    "Yeah, now it's tough, but I never give up, and I'm going to come back stronger, for sure."