Serena Williams to play WTA event in Toronto, say organisers

Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and US Open champion Emma Raducanu are also in the stacked field for the tournament in Toronto.

FILE PHOTO: Former world number one Serena Williams, who played her first singles match in a year during a first round defeat at Wimbledon last month, was named in a star-studded field for Canadian Open. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Serena Williams will continue her comeback at next month's Canadian Open WTA event in Toronto, organisers confirmed on Thursday.

The former world number one, who played her first singles match in a year during a first round defeat at Wimbledon last month, was named in a star-studded field for the August 6-14 tournament.

Williams, who is using her protected ranking to enter the main draw, joins a field which includes 41 of the top 43-ranked players in the world, including two-time French Open champion and world number one Iga Swiatek.

She's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

That's right, our 3-time champion @serenawilliams returns to Toronto. And she likes playing here, she's reached the semis of better the last five times she's played. #NBO22pic.twitter.com/3OzZsEnBIP

— National Bank Open (@NBOtoronto) July 14, 2022

Williams was beaten in three sets by unseeded Frenchwoman Harmony Tan at Wimbledon last month.

Asked afterwards about her plans for the future, Williams, who turns 41 later this year, was coy. "Who knows where I'll pop up?" she told reporters.

Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and US Open champion Emma Raducanu are also in the stacked field for the tournament in Toronto.

The men's tournament, which will take place in Montreal, will see Rafael Nadal make his return after an injury cut short his Wimbledon campaign.

Nadal has won five times in Canada and will be out to equal Ivan Lendl's record of six Canadian Open titles.

The field also includes world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in addition to world number one Daniil Medvedev.