It’s been a hot August week both literally and figuratively for Canada and its sports.
The National Bank Open across Montreal and Toronto has brought plenty of life to the late summer with Alexandra Eala’s Filipino fans leading the charge. The Toronto Blue Jays have been playing better of late to keep the playoffs within reach, while the Canada men’s Under-20 soccer team missed out on an 2028 Olympic berth in controversial fashion.
It’s been a rough stretch for the Toronto Tempo as they lost their eighth straight while the CEBL is nearing its conclusion as the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Brampton Honey Badgers reached the finals.
Here’s everything you need to know about the week that was among Canadian sports teams and athletes.
At just 21 years old, Alexandra Eala has the tennis world in the palm of her hand. The Filipino phenomenon soared to the top 20 of the WTA rankings, winning the D.C. Open in Washington on the back of tremendous ball striking and grit, as well as fervent support from her country.
Toronto got a taste of that immense support as the Filipino community has taken over the National Bank Open. Tickets have sold out almost instantly to every session she’s been featured in and Eala has responded in kind, making a run to the Round of 16.
Eala finally ran out of gas, losing to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in 6-4, 6-0. Still, she looked back with fond memories of her first taste of Toronto.
“The atmosphere this whole week has just been incredible,” Eala said. “It’s hard to describe to other people the feeling of being in that stadium, the fans, all the love. I’m super grateful for all the experiences I’ve had here in Toronto.
“It’s been an amazing debut so, yeah, I’ll carry these memories with me for a really long time.”
Blue Jays still teasing playoff hope
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 8: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after the final out in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 8, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays won their fourth series in a row by taking two of three against the Philadelphia Phillies, the first time they’ve accomplished the feat since last season.
Still with a disappointing record of 56-63, the underwhelming American League has the Jays just 3.5 games out of the final wildcard spot.
It was a big start for Max Scherzer on Saturday, as he moved to 10th place all-time in strikeouts with 3,516. He is second among active players behind only Justin Verlander (3,554). Scherzer finished the game with 5.1 innings pitched, striking out four batters and allowing two earned runs, which were both solo home runs in the sixth inning.
Toronto’s next three series could effectively determine their fate, as they go up against a soaring Boston Red Sox (64-53) that has won 32 of its last 37 games, the 66-52 New York Yankees, and A.L. East division-leading Tampa Bay Rays (71-46).
Canada Soccer controversially misses out on Olympics berth
The Canada men’s Under-20 soccer team put together an amazing effort to reach the semifinals of the U-20 Concacaf championship and earn direct qualification for the next FIFA U20 World Cup. They will be disappointed, though, to have missed out on qualification for the next Olympics after losing to hosts Mexico in the semis.
USA played Mexico in the final, the latter emerging victorious 2-0. The U.S. already had an Olympic spot as hosts which effectively made the Canada vs. Mexico semifinal a do-or-die for the other Olympic spot for the region.
Controversy was at the centre of the defeat, as Canada had both a VAR decision for a penalty and an absurd red card for key player Liam Mackenzie in the 70th minute. Canada had taken an early lead and could have doubled the lead with the potential penalty before Mexico levelled early in the second half.
Mexico then earned a penalty themselves to take a 2-1 lead back. which left a task too tall for 10-man Canada. The refereeing in this match reeked of favouritism, something that has been publicly criticized within the Concacaf region by fans for a long, long time.
Olympic soccer restricts squads to predominantly players under the age of 23, though three exceptions above that age limit are allowed. That’s why it’s not the showcase the men’s FIFA World Cup is, but it would have still been a phenomenal opportunity for Canada’s growth and appeal in the sport to advance.
Athlete of the Week: Leylah Fernandez
Tasked with a tough draw at the National Bank Open, Leylah Fernandez provided one of the upsets of the tournament with a straight sets 6-1, 6-4 win over fifth seed Mirra Andreeva.
Fernandez was solid throughout the match, and took advantage of what was ultimately a pretty erratic performance from Andreeva. Keeping down the errors has been an issue for Fernandez this year, and the consistency with which she kept the ball in play was impressive.
She lost 6-4, 6-4 in a spirited Round of 16 battle to Naomi Osaka, but after what’s been a trying two-thirds of the season for Fernandez, this tournament can certainly be considered a big step in the right direction for Canada’s former U.S. Open finalist.
It came at the right time for Canada, too. Felix Auger-Aliassime was forced to withdraw on the men’s side in Montreal due to a back injury, Denis Shapovalov retired with an ankle injury in his first-round matchup, and Gabriel Diallo retired from his second-round match with a knee injury.
Back on the women’s side, Bianca Andrescu, Rebecca Marino, and Carol Zhao all exited in the first round while defending champion Vicky Mboko was forced to withdraw as she continues to recover from a knee injury. Even star doubles player Gabby Dabrowski lost early.
All of that left Fernandez to fly the Canada flag alone and the win over Andreeva was a much-needed highlight.
“Yes and no,” Fernandez said on if she felt added pressure. “Yes, there is a little bit of weight especially when you’re playing at home but at the same time not really because unfortunately when I first started playing there weren’t that many Canadians on tour…
“It didn’t feel like there was that much pressure, I think it was more excitement.”
Tempo suffers eighth straight loss
PORTLAND, OR – AUGUST 06: Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler (21) and Toronto Tempo forward Nyara Sabally (8) battle for position after a free throw during the WNBA game between the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo on August 6, 2026 at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Toronto Tempo season, which started with a fair bit of optimism, has come crashing down with an eighth straight loss. Their latest defeat came at the hands of fellow expansion team the Portland Fire, 97-83, which now gives the Tempo a 10-21 record on the season.
Injuries have been a big factor in the Tempo now losing 11 of 12 overall, Brittney Sykes’ extended absence weighing on the team most heavily. The star veteran was averaging 20.1, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season before suffering a left plantar fascia injury on June 16.
All-star Marina Mabrey has also missed time of late, while impressive rookie Kiki Rice suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain that’s kept her out a while.
Winnipeg to face Brampton in CEBL Finals
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA – 2026/05/09: Winnipeg Sea Bear’s David Walker works the ball up the court in the 2026 CEBL season-opening game at Edmonton EXPO Centre. Edmonton Stingers 75 – 77 Winnipeg Sea Bears. (Photo by Ron Palmer/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
On a thrilling Saturday of CEBL action, the Brampton Honey Badgers and Winnipeg Sea Bears won their respective conference finals to setup a finals series clash beginning Wednesday.
Winnipeg beat the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits 107-96 in the Western Conference final while Brampton defeated the Niagara River Lions 91-81 to clinch the East. The River Lions were two-time defending champions.
Xavier Moon, a three-time CEBL MVP, scored a game-high 24 points for the Sea Bears in their win while Sean East II paced the Honey Badgers with 22 points.
The Sea Bears were an expansion franchise in 2023 and will mark their first appearance in the CEBL Finals while the Honey Badgers are looking for their second title after winning it all in 2022.
This is the first time the CEBL has expanded the Finals from a single game to a best-of-three series. The games will air on both TSN and CBC Gem. Game 1 is at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.
Latest Leonard report adds more drama to Raptors’ paused trade
INGLEWOOD, CA – APRIL 15: Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, #2, walks off the court after their season-ending loss to the Golden State Warriors during an NBA play-in-tournament at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Will he or won’t he be a Raptor? Toronto’s wait for a Kawhi Leonard return this summer continues as the pending trade with the Los Angeles Clippers remains on hold due to the current league investigation into possible salary cap circumvention by the Clippers.
The deal hit further controversy this past week when Pablo Torre – whose investigative work on the Leonard scandal has earned him a Pulitzer Prize – reported on another alleged under-the-table multi-million sponsorship deal with Jumbotron company Daktronics as a means for Steve Ballmer and the Clippers to pay Leonard under the table.
The Wachtell Lipton law firm has reportedly concluded its investigation and the league is believed to be going through the findings. If the parties involved from the Los Angeles Clippers to Leonard and his former business associates Mitch Frankel and uncle Dennis Robertson agree to what commissioner Adam Silver’s decision and possible punishment, then arbitration will be avoided.
If not, this saga could drag into 2027.
Noteworthy:
The Canada U18 hockey team won the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Saturday, defeating the U.S. 8-1 in the final for gold.
It has been confirmed that former NBA player and British Columbia native Brandon Clarke died from the effects of heroin and cocaine.
Ali Ahmed, who started a pair of matches for Canada at the recently concluded men’s FIFA World Cup, suffered a torn ACL in action for Norwich City. He underwent a successful surgery and will be out for at least the next nine months.
Dillon Brooks agreed to a three-year, $73 million extension with the Phoenix Suns, where he has further established a reputation as a valuable culture setter and role player.