Montreal: Key Facts, Context and What to Know

A tennis fan searching for the Montreal Open is usually trying to solve a practical problem: which event is being played in Montréal this year, when it is on, and how to follow it. The answer sits within the Canadian Open, the annual professional tournament staged across Montréal and Toronto and branded in English as the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.

That two-city setup matters. Montréal does not necessarily host the same competition every year, so the player field, tour designation and local schedule depend on the edition. For 2027, Montréal is scheduled to stage the women’s tournament, while Toronto hosts the men’s event.

What the Montreal Open refers to

“Montreal Open” is a useful search label for the Montréal stop of the Canadian Open, rather than a separate tournament with its own confirmed official title. The event belongs to the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, Canada’s leading annual professional tennis tournament, which is held across Montréal and Toronto.

Think of the National Bank Open as one tournament identity with two host-city events. A Montréal listing concerns the competition played at the city’s IGA Stadium; a Toronto listing concerns the corresponding event in Toronto. The distinction becomes especially important when checking dates, ticketing and players, because the men’s and women’s competitions are not permanently assigned to the same city.

For readers planning around Montréal, the essential first step is to identify the edition. That tells you whether the city is hosting the women’s or men’s tournament and avoids applying details from a Toronto event, or from a previous Montréal edition, to the current one.

Where it fits in professional tennis

The Canadian Open occupies an elite place on both major professional tours. The men’s competition is an ATP 1000 event on the ATP Tour, while the women’s competition is a WTA 1000 event on the WTA Tour. Those classifications put the tournament among the sport’s most significant regular-season events.

Both competitions are played on outdoor hard courts. That surface shapes the tennis spectators can expect: quick exchanges from the baseline, aggressive returning and players who can adapt between powerful serving and rapid changes of direction. It also makes the event a substantial competitive test rather than a regional exhibition.

For the women’s event, the ranking incentive is clear: the champion can earn 1,000 PIF WTA Rankings points. That is why a Montréal women’s edition carries considerable weight for players pursuing ranking position as well as tournament success.

The men’s ATP 1000 status similarly signals the event’s standing, although the specific ATP points award and its precise place in the wider seasonal sequence are not set out here. The reliable takeaway is that the Canadian Open is a top-tier hard-court stop for both tours, with the city allocation determining which tour arrives in Montréal in a given year.

Why Montréal and Toronto host different events

Montréal and Toronto share the Canadian Open rather than staging identical men’s and women’s tournaments in the same city at the same time. The women’s tournament alternates between the two cities, and the allocation can change from one edition to the next.

The contrast between recent and scheduled editions shows why checking the year is essential. In 2024, Montréal hosted the men’s tournament while Toronto hosted the women’s tournament. In 2027, the arrangement is scheduled to reverse: Montréal hosts the women’s event and Toronto hosts the men’s event.

This rotation affects more than a venue line on a fixture list. It determines the tour, the likely player pool and the draw being contested in each city. A reader looking for WTA stars, for example, should focus on Montréal in 2027; someone seeking the ATP event should look to Toronto that year.

It is best not to assume that one city always receives one tour. The Canadian Open’s shared-host model is the central context behind the Montréal event, and it is the reason current-edition information matters more than a generic description of the tournament.

2027 Montréal dates and tournament format

The 2027 National Bank Open is scheduled to run from July 31 through August 12. Montréal is scheduled to host the women’s tournament during that event window, with Toronto staging the men’s competition.

Those dates establish the overall tournament period, but they do not identify a day-by-day Montréal programme. Match times, individual session dates, rounds and the order of play are determined closer to competition and can change as the event unfolds. Anyone choosing a particular day should treat the overall dates as the planning window, not as a guarantee that a preferred player or round will appear in a particular session.

The published women’s tournament format is a 96-player singles draw alongside a 32-team doubles draw. That gives the Montréal event a large field and means singles and doubles can both form part of the spectator experience. The format describes the women’s tournament generally; the supplied information does not confirm that every element will apply unchanged to the 2027 Montréal edition.

There is no confirmed current list here of entrants, seeds, wild cards, qualifiers, withdrawals or replacements. As a result, it would be premature to name players expected to compete in Montréal in 2027. The useful planning approach is to separate the confirmed tournament identity from the still-to-be-set field: Montréal is scheduled for the WTA competition, while the eventual lineup will depend on the official entry process and later updates.

For fans, the practical implication is straightforward. Use July 31 to August 12 as the event window, recognise that Montréal is the women’s site in 2027, and wait for the tournament’s match scheduling and player announcements before selecting a day solely for a particular athlete or matchup.

The venue: IGA Stadium and its courts

The Montréal tournament is played at IGA Stadium, a tennis venue with a stated capacity of 11,500 fans. It is the setting for the city’s National Bank Open action and the focal point for spectators attending the Montréal leg of the event.

Centre Court is where each day’s featured matches are played. For visitors with limited time, that is the court most likely to anchor a session: it is the main stage for the day’s headline programme rather than simply another court on the grounds.

Rogers Court is also a spectator court at IGA Stadium. Its role matters when considering ticket access and how much tennis a visit may include beyond Centre Court. A Centre Court ticket provides access to Level 200 on Rogers Court and to other match courts, subject to first-come, first-served availability.

That availability condition is important. A ticket can broaden the range of tennis available during a visit, but it does not reserve a seat on every court. Spectators who want to move between matches should allow for queues and capacity limits, especially when a popular player is scheduled away from Centre Court. The supplied details do not establish a full current inventory of courts or individual court capacities.

The tournament’s place in tennis history

The Canadian Open is not merely significant because of its modern tour status. It is identified as the second-oldest active tennis tournament in the world, behind Wimbledon. That historical position gives the event a weight few regular tour stops can match.

Its champions also reflect the calibre of players associated with the tournament. Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Monica Seles are among the past National Bank Open champions. Their presence on the honour roll places the event within the long competitive history of women’s tennis rather than treating it as a recent addition to the hard-court calendar.

For a Montréal women’s edition, that heritage adds context to the modern WTA 1000 stakes. The tournament combines a major ranking opportunity with a history that connects several generations of champions. It is not necessary to know every past winner to appreciate the point: success here has been associated with some of the sport’s defining players.

The names above are representative, not a complete champions list, and they do not amount to a full historical timeline. Still, they explain why the Canadian Open remains a tournament with both immediate competitive importance and unusually deep roots.

Planning a visit and choosing tickets

Ticket planning starts with the fact that attendance is organised by session, not by a promise of one particular match. A single-session ticket gives access to all matches in the selected session on the chosen day, with day and evening sessions available. That structure can suit either a focused visit or a longer day built around several courts.

• Choose the session, not a named matchup. A ticket applies to a session rather than a particular round or match. The order of play can change, so it is wise to select a date that works even if a hoped-for player is scheduled differently.
• Factor in outer-court access. Session tickets include access to outer courts, subject to first-come, first-served seating availability. This can add value for fans who enjoy following several matches rather than staying with one headline court.
• Read the product details before committing. Ticket benefits can vary by product. The specific inclusions are the best guide to seating, court access and any additional privileges attached to a selected option.
• Plan for accessibility and family needs. The tournament provides seating, parking, services and facilities for spectators with reduced mobility, young children and other specific needs. Visitors should consider those requirements when selecting their attendance arrangements.
• Consider premium options only for the benefits you want. Premium packages may include priority access, premium seating, VIP lounge and hospitality access, enhanced food and beverage, and elevated service. The exact combination depends on the package selected.

Current prices, package names, multi-session options and exact purchase channels are not specified here. The most reliable decision is therefore to start with the session type and desired court experience, then review the current ticket options for the relevant edition before buying.

How to watch the Montréal tournament

1. Use Tennis TV or WTA TV for official online streaming. These are the official online streaming providers for National Bank Open matches. The suitable service will depend on whether you are following the men’s or women’s competition and on access in your territory.
2. Check Sportsnet and TVA Sports for broadcast coverage. Both are official broadcasters of the National Bank Open and are the principal television outlets associated with the tournament.
3. Follow Tennis Canada on YouTube for tournament content. The Tennis Canada YouTube channel carries exclusive content from both the Montréal and Toronto tournaments, offering an additional way to keep up with material around the event.

Live coverage availability, subscription requirements and match-by-match schedules can vary, so the key question before the tournament begins is which outlet carries the Montréal women’s event where you are watching.