WELCOME MESSAGE

Welcome to Tennis Canada’s 2018 Annual Report! There is no doubt that 2018 was another successful year for tennis in Canada, as participation continued to rise as did fan interest in our sport.

My term as chair comes to an end at our AGM, and I would like to take a quick look back on my time on the board. First and foremost, I had the pleasure of working with a group of passionate fellow members, who all volunteered so much time and energy to our sport. Their hard work and dedication made my tenure a memorable and enjoyable experience. I also had the opportunity to meet many of the presidents of the major tennis federations with which we have built strong ties and shared best practices, including our efforts to make tennis safe and inclusive for all players. Tennis Canada is recognized throughout the world as a leading tennis nation, often held up as a model of success with its roster of top players and world-class tournaments and the continued expansion of player participation and fan engagement.

One of Tennis Canada’s unique strengths is our relationships with our provincial associations and with the Canadians working in tennis in every region. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of them and even playing some fun tennis in clubs across the country along the way.. Our vibrant national association is driven by our thriving ties with our provincial associations, numerous clubs and publicly funded facilities throughout Canada.

Of course, the real work is carried out by the team at Tennis Canada. In the past three years, I have met with most of the staff members in our offices across Canada and was unfailingly impressed by their passion for our sport and values of teamwork and integrity. Our organization is made up of a remarkable group of people!

Our board will see a number of changes this year, as we implement our corporate governance model for board renewal. John LeBoutillier and Marc Bibeau— who have been tireless supporters of tennis at so many levels—have reached the end of their terms and will be leaving. I have counted on their support since I first joined the board, and their wisdom and energy has always been appreciated by all. I would like to thank them both, and I am certain they will continue to support our great sport. I also want to welcome two new board members: Josée Noiseux and Peter Kruyt. Josée and Peter both have strong professional backgrounds and are tennis enthusiasts. I look forward to collaborating with them.

In addition, I am delighted to welcome Jennifer Bishop as the new chair of Tennis Canada. Jennifer is an avid player and brings a wealth of tennis experience to the board, from getting her start in a small club in Newfoundland to playing collegiate tennis in the US and serving as president of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club. Jennifer also chaired the tennis development committee and was a member of the finance and audit committee. I look forward to working with her in my role as past chair.

First Serve – Grassroots (Community and Kids Tennis)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 70 organizers and over 5,000 players were involved in Rogers Community Team Tennis
• Over 300 Rogers Rookie Tour events were organized in 2018
• The Canadian University Tennis Championships celebrated its 10th anniversary

There are always challenges involved in growing a sport in a country as expansive as Canada. However, starting the process by nurturing the game in local communities, schools and parks across the nation has seen tennis participation and interest levels consistently rise over the past several years.

The growth of the game begins at the grassroots level and Tennis Canada’s numerous partners ensure tennis programs are accessible to children of all backgrounds.

Community Tennis

In 2018, Tennis Canada continued to partner with several organizations to ensure that tennis is readily available to as many Canadians as possible.

Team Tennis, a program delivered alongside the organization’s major partners, increased its reach to 27 Boys and Girls Clubs across the country thanks to a national partnership with Rogers, which has seen it be rebranded as Rogers Community Team Tennis. Utilizing this program, Tennis Canada also partnered with the Ontario Tennis Association to launch a three-year Inner-City Kids tennis program with over 600 participants.

With this partnership, Tennis Canada also launched a strategy with the YMCA, which saw the creation of tennis programs in seven YMCAs throughout the year. Tennis was also integrated at MLSE launchpad, an event where youth facing barriers use sport to recognize and reach their potential.

Kids Tennis

Rogers Community Team Tennis and Rogers Rookie Tour were the two pillars of Tennis Canada’s efforts to grow the sport at a community level.

Rogers Community Team Tennis allows kids to play against others with similar skill-sets in a team environment. It gives players the chance to combine training and play, ensuring skill development is a key focus during matches. Using the Kid’s Tennis format, matches are played using the appropriate equipment and court sizes based on the age and calibre of the participants. As has been the case over the past few years, Rogers Community Team Tennis had a huge reach in 2018 with over 5,000 participants. Of the program leaders across the country, 14 were running girls’ leagues and three launched programs in indigenous communities.

Meanwhile, the Rogers Rookie Tour also continued its remarkable growth. The program continued to operate in all 10 provinces across Canada, while participation saw a huge increase from 6,000 in 2017 to 15,000 over the course of the past year.

University Program

The Canadian University Tennis Championships celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018 and for a second year in a row, the tournament had representatives from across the country. The University of Montreal, led by head coach Andrzej Zaleski, took home the gold in both the men’s and women’s national tournaments.

A second national event was added to the calendar thanks to the introduction of the inaugural Canadian University Winter Tennis Championships, which hosted over 20 teams and 100 athletes. The event also featured the first-ever recreational coed division, which targeted intramural club programs. The University of Alberta won the gold medal in women’s varsity action, while a close encounter in the men’s varsity division went down to the final match with Western University clinching the championship. The coed club division showcased some exciting tennis and it was Western University who claimed the gold medal.

Participation and Interest Study

Tennis Canada’s mission is to lead the growth of tennis in our country. In November 2018, the organization released the details of a nationwide study on the health of the sport. It revealed that, over the course of the last year, just under 6.6 million Canadians, Canadians, which represents 18% of the country’s population, hit the courts with 69% of them having played at least four times – a 15% increase compared to when the study was last conducted. The study found that just under 3 million Canadians are frequent players, meaning they play at least once a week during the summer tennis season, representing an increase of 37%.

The popularity of the sport has also risen, with 60% of Canadians saying they are interested in tennis, meaning the sport sits in fifth position among the 14 sports tested. In fact, the research showed that tennis is ranked fifth out of 14 sports in fan interest and is the highest ranked individual sport. Tennis Canada welcomed more than 328,000 fans to Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto and Montreal last year.

In terms of interest in players, the study showed the top five players followed by Canadians included hometown stars Milos Raonic (20%) and Eugenie Bouchard (21%), alongside Serena Williams (26%), Roger Federer (25%) and Rafael Nadal (21%). Among the top 10 most popular sports in the country, tennis ranked second with the fewest injuries, after basketball.

Forehand – Foundation (Competitive Structure, Coaching, Officiating, TPA, Facilities)

• 632 coaches across Canada were certified in 2018
• By the end of the year, 80% of coaches at year-round facilities were fully active TPA members
• 75% of officials at the Rogers Cup in Toronto and Montreal were Canadian

Tennis Canada’s mission is to grow the sport across the country. That starts with recruiting junior players, some of whom have the potential to become future stars like Bianca Andreescu, Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime. In order for those younger players to develop, they require guidance from the best possible coaches, who need to be held to the highest standards and train in elite facilities.

Over the past year, Tennis Canada has worked tirelessly to ensure there are more certified coaches across the country, as well as more members of the Tennis Professional Association (TPA). Moreover, the organization has seen several significant developments in officiating, while plans for improved facilities, including a new Covered Court Initiative, are also in motion.

COACHING

2018 was another important year for coaching with a total of 632 coaches gaining certifications, including 498 new instructor-level coaches and 134 receiving higher-level certification. Tennis Canada started a newly-approved Coach 4 program, which began with nine top coaches being enrolled. Meanwhile, the organization also started a new Coach 2 course which began with 45 coaches, including a record-setting 11 women, which made up almost a quarter (24%) of the participants.

In addition, Tennis Canada certified 18 Coach 3s, including Toronto’s Sharon Fichman, a WTA doubles title winner, Stephanie Dubois, former world no. 87, and Heidi el Tabakh, Canadian Fed Cup Captain.

Tennis Canada also ran 33 professional development workshops across the country in 2018.

TENNIS PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION (TPA)

It was another record year for the TPA Conference with 260 attendees. Held at Aviva Centre in Toronto, the headline speaker was renowned coach Sam Sumyk, who has worked with the likes of Garbine Muguruza, Canada’s own Eugenie Bouchard and Victoria Azarenka. The event included the recognition of some important figures in Canadian tennis, including Michael Hall, who received the 2017 Coaching Excellence Award.

By the end of the calendar year, over 80% of coaches working at year-round facilities in Canada were recognized as fully-active TPA members, with 77 clubs throughout the country hiring only actively certified coaches. In total, the year-end membership figures showed that just under 3,300 coaches across Canada were TPA members. There was also an important integration of a new requirement for members of the TPA, who will now need to undergo a background check to remain or become part of the association in 2019.

The TPA also hosted over 25 professional development events across the country in 2018, of which more than 900 coaches attended at least one or more of these events.

Safe Sport

Embedded in its core values, Tennis Canada strives to be a leader in Safe Sport best practices, putting an emphasis on education and maximum protection for the most vulnerable circumstances. In May, the organization’s very first Safe Sport Department was created, which included the hiring of a dedicated Director for this significant project. Given the importance of the discipline, this new position reports directly to the President and CEO.

A number of measures have been put into place to cultivate a Safe Sport culture within our organization as well as with our Tennis Professionals Association (PTA) member clubs, our Tennis Development Centre (TDC) partners and our tournaments, particularly at the junior level. The TPA now requires every member to sign a code of conduct pledge and they must all clear their required background checks. The TPA also provides online educational tools which discuss the importance of proper guidance, including the especially important Rule of Two. This rule states that coaches should avoid being alone with an athlete when in an enclosed space and should always try to have a second screened coach present. This is meant to protect athletes, coaches and clubs from vulnerable situations.

A more rigorous background check was also implemented for our billet families at the National Tennis Centre, which welcome kids between the ages of 13 and 17 during their stay in Montreal. Furthermore, our host families are more carefully selected for Challenger tournaments held across the nation. These initiatives have been implemented in order to diligently balance attention paid to providing a safe environment from abuse as well as attention paid to recreational and High Performance sport development.

There is still an abundance of work to be done in this area, but Tennis Canada is committed to making our sport as safe as possible. The objective is to ensure that tennis in Canada is free of abuse and harassment.

OFFICIATING

There was several significant developments for Tennis Canada’s officials in 2018. Three Canadian officials, two chair umpires and one referee, were certified by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The officiating department provided the staffing for Rogers Cup in both Toronto and Montreal, as well as approximately 85 other national, international and professional events.

There was a strong Canadian officiating presence at ATP and WTA tour-level events as well as ITF, Fed Cup, Davis Cup and Grand Slam events across the world. Meanwhile, the highly successful Officiating Development Team, which includes chair umpires and referees, helped to enhance officiating performance at the national level.

In total, 26 Canadian officials ended the year with ATP, WTA or ITF certifications, including nine international officials and 20 white badges. The officiating department ran 14 training clinics held in six provinces, which involved 140 officials.

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT

Tennis Canada made ground in improving facilities across the country in 2018, headlined by the introduction of its Covered Court Initiative. As part of that strategy, the organization aims to partner with municipalities and facility operators to create more year-round tennis facilities for Canadians. Officially launching in 2019, the Municipal Tennis Facilities Strategy and Partnership Framework was developed with the intention of engaging and educating municipalities on how they can deliver accessible and affordable covered courts to their residents through a flexible partnership structure.

As it stands, municipalities are the largest owners of tennis courts in Canada, but just 2% of them are covered. A study, commissioned by Tennis Canada, found that there are just 750 accessible covered courts across the country, meaning there is around one indoor court for every 50,000 Canadians. When ranked alongside other developed tennis nations, Canada finishes second to last in that category.

Consumer research was also conducted nationally among a representative sample of 1,000 Canadians to determine consumer interest in the Covered Courts strategy. The key findings are outlined below.

Moreover, 90% of Canadians agree that municipalities should work with Tennis Canada on the Covered Court Initiative with 79% saying this would improve their opinion of a municipality.

Atlantic Tennis Centre

Formerly known as the Daniel Nestor Tennis Centre, the facility underwent changes in ownership and was renamed as the Atlantic Tennis Centre (ATC) in September 2018. To mark the occasion, current Davis Cup captain Frank Dancevic and former professional Daniel Nestor attended a public open house and celebration. The ATC is currently finalizing the fundraising and facility design for a new six-court permanent facility to be built alongside the existing six clay court bubble.

Western Canada Tennis Centre

In 2018, Tennis Canada and the City of Burnaby officially partnered on developing a Western Canada Tennis Centre (WCTC). Located within the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, the WCTC will house approximately 12 indoor and 12 outdoor courts and will be a multi-use facility, providing community access to a broad base of programs for all age groups and skill sets. The announcement generated excitement in British Columbia’s tennis community, with the project committee currently working on site studies, assessments and fundraising to advance the project.

Backhand – Partnerships

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• 2018 was another momentous year for Corporate Partnerships, who broke all-time revenue records
• Corporate Partnerships signed 12 new partners, which helped them reach this milestone
• Tennis Canada signed a new major partnership with IGA, which became the name sponsor of the stadium in Montreal and of the Rogers Cup Family Weekend in Montreal
• New members welcomed to the Lifetime Legends, a group of passionate donors whose lifetime contributions exceed $100,000
• Tennis Canada celebrated Daniel Nestor’s career and his induction into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame

Tennis Canada would not be able to work towards its vision of being a world-leading tennis nation without the support of its partners, including sponsors, donors, and the provincial tennis associations. In 2018, these partnerships continued to grow and evolve.

TENNIS MATTERS

On the fundraising side of Tennis Canada’s activities, 2018 saw more than 2,500 donors help raise over $2.6M through different channels to grow tennis in Canada.

In 2018, we welcomed new members to the Lifetime Legends, a group of passionate donors whose lifetime contributions exceed $100,000. Welcome to the LeBlanc Family, the Milavsky Family, Norman Elliott, The Green Fischer Family, as well as Laura McCain and Peter Jensen.

On August 5th, 1,200 guests gathered at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto to celebrate the career of Daniel Nestor. The event was hosted by This Hour Has 22 Minutes alum, Shaun Majumder. The festivities began with a hilarious roast of Daniel and his career by good friends Novak Djokovic, John Isner and fellow Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. This was followed by his induction into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame. It was an emotional evening to honour a true Canadian tennis legend. Proceeds from the event went to the creation of the Daniel Nestor Scholarship with the goal of helping future Canadian athletes reach their dreams of success on the world stage. This event would not have been possible without Sandeep Lal, the presenting sponsor of the evening and long-time, passionate supporter of tennis in Canada.

The Harold F. Milavsky Chairman lounge was named in honor of a past Chairman and strong supporter of tennis in Canada. A very warm thank you to the Milavsky Family for their generous gift helping to support the development of our next generation of athletes.

A thank you to the Wilder Family for the in-memoriam creation of The Ben Wilder Scholarship as well as the Green Fischer Family for the Future Champions Fund. Both were created to support the needs of young athletes under the age of 14 with their travel and coaching costs.

We would like to acknowledge the LeBlanc Family and their generous gift that will support junior to professional transition athletes.

We would also like to recognize the continued generous support of the Green Fischer Family (Kids Tennis, Seniors, Future Champions Fund), the Tevlin Family (High Performance and Sports Science) and the Cynamon Family (Sports Science). Tennis in Canada is thriving thanks to your generosity and vision.

Finally, the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto was happy to count on the generous support of Celebrate Ontario.

In addition to the gracious response from our initiatives listed above, Tennis Canada would like to gratefully acknowledge all the donors who generously contributed between January 1 and December 31, 2018. Click here to consult the complete donor listing.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

This year, Tennis Canada signed 12 new major partners, including Sobeys, Barilla, Resolve, Persil as well as a number of other quality brands, which contributed to another record-breaking year for highest revenue. Tennis Canada attributes this continued success in Corporate Partnerships to the ongoing commitment to offer the highest level of customer service and attention to detail to our partners.

In addition to welcoming these new brands at the tournament, our existing partners have continued to elevate the fan experience on-site with their interactive and dynamic activations. As one of our organizational pillars, we strive to enhance the guest experience each year. This goal would not be achievable without the commitment and support of our sponsors.

At the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, Peroni invited fans to enjoy a little slice of Italy, with their expanded House of Peroni Patio, a DJ and videoboard, which were also added to the experience. Fans could sit and enjoy the match while enjoying cold refreshments.

Aperol also continued to be a major point of interest on-site, serving up their very popular Signature Drink, the Aperol Spritz. For their part, Rogers upped their game, capturing the attention of the fans with their interactive activation, offering surprises and memorable moments for the spectators throughout the site. A notable innovation in 2018 were the Radio Earpieces, which allowed fans to tune in to the broadcaster feed while watching the matches on Centre Court. A project in collaboration with National Bank, these earpieces were available for free at the National Bank Kiosk.

Another major partnership announcement was made in April, when IGA became the name sponsor for the tennis stadium in Montreal. Continuing their engagement in the community, IGA and its merchants signed a long-term partnership with Tennis Canada. IGA Stadium is home to 28 tennis courts, three non-profit tennis organizations (Tennis Canada, Tennis Québec, Tennis Montréal) as well as Tennis Canada’s National Tennis Centre. Their goal is to be more involved in the sport and in 2018 this included hosting an open house at their newly-renamed stadium. Together, IGA and Tennis Canada are continuing to make tennis more accessible to families.

PROVINCIAL TENNIS ASSOCIATIONS

Our provincial tennis associations are a critical partner in growing the sport across the country. We work closely with them to align initiatives across every aspect of our sport, including safeguarding, participation, community outreach, player development, tournament structure, coaching and officiating. The result is a high-quality development system which delivers quality experiences at all levels of our sport.

In 2018, our work together continued to cross multiple areas with some signature national initiatives including the continuation of Rogers Community Team Tennis leagues, Rogers Rookie Tour and the initial launch of Quality Standards for Kids Tennis. Quality Standards for Kids Tennis aims to raise the quality and consistency of kids tennis programs to ensure safe and positive environments for kids to learn and enjoy tennis.

Click here for the complete listing of PTAs.

Drop Shot – WHEELCHAIR AND SENIORS TENNIS

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Canadian quad team finished in sixth place at the World Team Cup
• Rob Shaw is on the path to qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo
• Canada’s Super Seniors had another standout performance at the ITF World Championships

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS

Rob Shaw on the road to Tokyo

Rob Shaw had another stellar season in 2018, continuing his ascent in the world rankings. He finished the season at a career-high no. 10, putting him in a great position for the upcoming qualifying season for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. One of the highlights of the year was his first-ever ITF 1 Series final at the Birmingham Classic in August. Rob also won two other ITF events in 2018, including the Preston Indoor tournament in the United Kingdom and the Canadian International event in Montreal.

Canadian Quad team impresses at the World Team Cup

The Canadian Quad team achieved direct qualification for the 2019 World Team Cup (WTC) in Israel thanks to their sixth-place finish at this year’s competition in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Canada was represented by Rob Shaw, Gary Luker and Mitch McIntyre as well as coach Christian Gingras.

New Ontario Provincial League off to a successful start

In partnership with Tennis Canada, the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association (OWSA) organized the first Ontario League competition in 2018. A total of 13 players participated in six league events at various locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The League offered Ontario players important match play opportunities outside of the sanctioned ITF events and allowed players to further develop their skills. A special thanks go out to the Markham Tennis Club, the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, the Grimsby Tennis Club as well as the Ontario Racquet Club for opening their facilities and welcoming the competitors.

New ITF Futures event in Grimsby announced

It was announced that the Grimsby Tennis Club will host a new ITF Futures event from June 18 to 21, 2019. The tournament will be part of a mini series along with the Windsor Classic, allowing players to compete in back-to-back events over a seven-day period. In 2019, Canada will be hosting six internationally-sanctioned events as part of the ITF Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Rogers Cup wheelchair tennis promotion

Tennis Canada, in partnership with the OWSA and Parasports Quebec, continued their successful promotion of wheelchair tennis at this year’s Rogers Cup presented by National Bank events in Montreal and Toronto. The goal of this year’s activities was to give ticketholders in both cities the opportunity to attempt playing tennis in a wheelchair, an activity which took place on the promotions court during the tournament. The long lines of fans hoping to get a chance to try their hand at wheelchair tennis were a great indication of the growing awareness and interest of people regarding this unique sport.

SENIORS TENNIS

Another standout year for our Super Senior tennis players

The Super Senior teams took centre stage at the World Senior ITF team competitions in Umag, Croatia. The Women’s Over 80 left with a bronze medal thanks to their fourth-place finish in the Doris Hart Cup. Inge Weber and her teammates Heather Kontaxopoulos, Ruth Neroutsos and Heather Hill put on an impressive performance in the accomplishment. In the Super Senior Individual World Championships, Inge Weber won the Women’s Over 80 doubles with Dorothy Wasser from the USA, Joyce Cutts reached the final in the Women’s Over 85 doubles with Sabine Leflave from France and Rosie Asch took home a bronze-medal triple. The ageless wonder reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Over 85 events, partnering with husband Bob Asch in the Over 85 Mixed Doubles.

Bronze for the Young Seniors

In October, Canada’s Young Seniors teams competed in Miami, Florida. Canada’s best performances came in the Women’s Over 35 event where the team finished fifth while the Men’s Over 45 team finished sixth. Cristina Popescu, Leigh Bradwell, Anthea Poon and Ali Low represented Canada on the Suzanne Lenglen team and Andrew Oxner, Julien Heine, Ben Woo and Joachim Nierfeld represented Canada on the Dubler Cup team. Canada also picked up three bronze medals in the Young Senior Individual Championships, where Henry Choi went on a great run in the Men’s Over 35 Singles, falling to Romano Frantzen from the Netherlands in a third set tiebreaker. Anna Iglewski and Kateryna Filyus also picked up bronze medals in the Women’s Over 40 and 45 Doubles events, respectively.

Steve Stevens Senior Nationals

In 2018, the Steve Stevens Senior Nationals returned to Montreal and was the highlight tournament in the Seniors Calendar. Just over 500 players competed in six first-rate venues across the city. The Mount Royal Tennis Club, Cote-St. Luc tennis clubs along with Hampstead, Monkland, Hillside and the Woodland tennis clubs, did an incredible job of welcoming all the players to Montreal. The athletes were treated to two delightful socials hosted by MRTC and the Gelber Centre.

A new tournament in Quebec City

New to the competitive calendar in 2018 was the Quebec City ITF Seniors event, which was held from July 11-15. The tournament was played in the historic Montcalm and Sir Charles Garnier tennis clubs. Players were treated to an enjoyable, competitive and well-organized event that will now be a regular fixture on the Canadian Seniors Competitive Calendar for years to come. Tournament Directors Martine St. Armant and Suzanne Lefebvre did an incredible job of welcoming over 110 players to the inaugural event.

Montreal

The organizers, players and ticketholders of the 2018 edition of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal were treated to a number of spectacular matches, as some of the best players in the world were in attendance. Fans packed the stands all week, with a total of 178,333 spectators circulating on the grounds of the tournament, an especially significant turnout for a women’s event. Despite withdrawals of Garbine Muguruza, Madison Keys and headliner Serena Williams, the 2018 event was a memorable one.

Spectators had the opportunity to watch excellent tennis by Canadian players, including Françoise Abanda, who caused the upset in her dramatic first round match against former world no. 13 Kirsten Flipkens. Fellow Canadians Rebecca Marino and 16-year-old Leylah Annie Fernandez came close to reaching the main draw, falling in the final round of qualifications. In the end, Simona Halep was crowned champion for a second time, giving her back to back titles in Montreal. She defeated American Sloane Stephens in a tightly disputed final, which was considered one of the best WTA matches of the year.

The Player Party returned in 2018, as the athletes competing in the tournament were invited to an exclusive evening at the Espace C2 at the Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth. With breathtaking views of the city, exquisite food and an electric atmosphere, the event was a raging success. The players, sponsors and tournament VIPs were treated to a world-class evening.

Athletes from other disciplines also took part in the tournament, at the ball hockey and soccer matches organized during opening weekend. The participants included Antoine Roussel, Thomas Chabot, JF Bérubé, Alex Burrows, Xavier Ouellett as well as stars from les Canadiennes, Geneviève Lacasse and Katia Clément-Hydra. Montreal Impact players Rod Fanni, Evan Bush, James Pantemis, Saphir Taïder, Rudy Camacho and Samuel Piette faced-off in a friendly soccer match.

Well-known Québec comedian and mega tennis fan Alexandre Barrette was the tournament spokesperson and demonstrated his love of the sport all week. He was on hand for many activities, including the celebrity match, which also featured the likes of Mariana Mazza, Jean-René Dufort, Jean-Thomas Jobin, Lucian Bute and Georges St-Pierre.

Women Empowering Women

In 2018, women took centre stage in Montreal, as a number of female empowerment events took place throughout the week. Things kicked off with the FearlesslyGirl conference where a number of young girls between the ages of 11 and 18 were invited to take part in an anti-bullying event, which featured a discussion with the guest speaker and founder of FearlesslyGirl Kate Whitfield, as well as Canadian tennis star Rebecca Marino. Another notable event that took place was the Rogers Women in Business Brunch, which brought together business women from organizations across the Great Montreal Area for a morning of networking and empowerment.

Volley – Rogers Cup

Year after year, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank continues to place Canada at the forefront of international tennis, helping to promote and develop the sport across the country. In 2018, the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto, which are continuously striving to improve, were a tremendous success on and off the court.

Toronto

The 2018 edition of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto produced all the usual thrills in yet another successful year for the tournament. The world’s top ATP stars descended on Aviva Centre for nine days of action on the court and fun-filled moments off the court.

Rafael Nadal ended up claiming the title, his fourth Rogers Cup crown, having previously won the tournament in 2005, 2008 and 2013. He got the better of NextGen star Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6(4) in the final. The Spaniard’s route to the title included wins over Benoit Paire, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic and Karen Khachanov.

The official draw was held on the Friday before the tournament with eventual champion Nadal on hand to assist with the ceremony, ceremony, which was hosted at Bisha Hotel in downtown Toronto.

A number of ATP stars, including Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic and Canada’s own Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime suited up to play ball hockey alongside some of the NHL’s very best, like Connor McDavid and Tyler Seguin.

A pre-tournament party was also held at The Rec Room, Canada’s premier ‘eats & entertainment’ hot spot, located at the foot of the world-famous CN Tower in downtown Toronto.

It was a solemn occasion at Aviva Centre on the tournament’s Monday night as long-time volunteer Anne Marie D’Amico, who was one of 10 people killed in the Toronto van attack in April last year, and her family were honoured for their combined 85 years of tournament service during a ceremony on Centre Court.

ACE – High performance

30 TITLES WON BY CANADIAN PLAYERS ON THE PROFESSIONAL CIRCUIT IN 2018

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 30 titles won on the professional circuits (13 singles, 17 doubles)
• 9 players ranked in the Top 200
• 8 players ranked in the Top 200 reached a career-high ranking in 2018
• 6 players notched wins over Top 50 players
• 1 Grand Slam title and 1 participation in the WTA Finals: Gabriela Dabrowski

In 2018, a total of 17 Canadian players contributed to a tally of 30 titles on the professional tour, 13 in singles and 17 in doubles. Rebecca Marino earned the most titles in 2018 thanks to her five wins.

Indeed, 2018 was a milestone year for Marino who made a return to tennis after a five-year absence. While the 28-year-old athlete started the year without a ranking, she finished the season ranked inside the Top 200, sitting at no. 190. She is among the group of nine Canadian players who finished the year ranked in the WTA and ATP Top 200, four of which are in the Top 100: Milos Raonic (no. 18), Denis Shapovalov (no. 27), Vasek Pospisil (no. 70) and Eugenie Bouchard (no. 88).

Among those in the Top 200, eight attained career-best rankings in 2018, starting with Gabriela Dabrowski who reached no. 7 in the doubles ranking. The Ottawa native added a second Grand Slam title to her name as she was crowned champion in mixed doubles at the Australian Open. She also took part in the WTA Finals for a second consecutive year.

The Veterans

Amid the veterans, injuries caused a problem once again for Milos Raonic at the start of the season, but he was able to get back on track in Indian Wells, where he reached the semi-finals. The former world no. 3 also made a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for a third straight year in addition to reaching the finals at a tournament in Stuttgart. He remains the top ranked Canadian, as he sits at no. 18 in the world. For his part, Vasek Pospisil won two ATP Challenger titles at the start of the year and reached two other finals. It is his ascent of almost 40 spots that allowed him to finish his season ranked no. 70. On the women’s side, Eugenie Bouchard ended her year on a high note by reaching the semi-finals of a tournament in Luxembourg after having to go through qualifying to reach the main draw. The Montreal native, whose ranking fell to no. 194 in June, assured her place in the Top 100 as well as a spot in the main draw of the Australian Open in 2019.

The Young Guns

2018 was an important year for Denis Shapovalov as he had to deal with increased pressure after his successful 2017 campaign. The 19-year-old Ontario native was able to maintain his spot among the ATP’s elite in the rankings, notably by reaching the semi-finals in Madrid and notching 15 wins over Top 50 players. Meanwhile, Félix Auger-Aliassime is closer than ever to breaking into the Top 100 thanks in part to his two ATP Challenger titles. 2018 was also a year which saw him get his first ATP main draw victory by defeating Pospisil in Indian Wells, earn his first win against a Top 30 player when he battled past Lucas Pouille at the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank and take part in his first Grand Slam main draw at the US Open before falling to Shapovalov. Bianca Andreescu finished her 2018 season in style as she was crowned champion of a Challenger tournament in Norman, Oklahoma, which was her second title of the year and the fifth of her career. She concludes her season ranked no. 156 in the world after having started the year at no. 182.

“After several successful accomplishments in 2017, the eyes of the tennis world were turned towards our next generation of players. Despite the pressure put on their shoulders, they managed to continue their development,” stated Louis Borfiga, Vice President of High Performance at Tennis Canada. “In fact, Canada can currently boast about having the highest ranked under-19 male player in the world, the highest ranked under-20 male player and the fourth highest ranked female player aged 18 and under. They still have a lot of work ahead of them and they know it. They are ambitious and perfectionists and it is by continuing to put in the hard work that they will stay on the path to accomplishing their goals.”

Numerous young Canadian players got their very first points on the professional tour this year. In fact, this achievement was accomplished by four boys (Justin Boulais, Chih Chi Huang, Liam Draxl and Sam Philp) as well as four girls (Jada Bui, Ariana Arseneault, Alexandra Mikhailuk and Raphaëlle Lacasse).

Nestor’s Farewell

The 2018 season was the last for the legend Daniel Nestor, who hung up his racquet after taking part in his 52nd and final Davis Cup tie in September. Throughout his 29-year career on the ATP Tour, Nestor was crowned champion of 91 tournaments, including 8 Grand Slams. He also won an Olympic Gold Medal in Sydney and is one of only six players to have registered over 1,000 wins on the ATP Tour. At 46 years of age, his retirement is well deserved!

For more statistics, please consult the 2018 Canadian tennis season by the numbers infographic.

NATIONAL TENNIS CENTRE

TENNIS CANADA INTRODUCES THE NATIONAL TENNIS CENTRE’S CLASS OF 2018-2019

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Since the NTC’s opening, 41 athletes have taken part in the program in Montreal
• 10 have played or are currently playing on the professional tour
• 26 have played or are still playing on the American University NCAA circuit
• 16 have graduated from an American University

Over 11 years ago, in the fall of 2007, Tennis Canada opened the doors to its National Tennis Centre (NTC). Since then, the structure put together by the Vice-President of High Performance, Louis Borfiga, has certainly proved successful and will welcome again this year a new group of athletes who are following in the footsteps of players like Milos Raonic, Eugenie Bouchard, Carol Zhao and Félix Auger-Aliassime.

Since its opening, 41 athletes have passed through the NTC. Of this group, 10 have played or are currently playing on the professional tour and 26 have played or are still playing on the American University NCAA circuit. In fact, the NTC counts 16 alumni who went on to graduate from American University.

Four Recruits

In 2018, the NTC welcomed four newcomers, as Justine Boulais (Oakville, ON), Stefan Simeunovic (Niagara Falls, ON), Maxime St-Hilaire (Lévis, QC) and Jaden Weekes (LaSalle, QC) have all made Montreal their home. They joined veteran NTC members Carson Branstine (Orange, CA) and Taha Baadi (Laval, QC). Originally from California, Branstine has been training in Montreal since 2016 and has since chosen to represent Canada. For his part, Baadi joined the NTC last year.

In addition, girls U16 national training camps will be organized regularly at the National Tennis Centre.

Coaching Team

The current coaching staff will return for the upcoming season and their roles will more or less remain the same. Thus, Sylvain Bruneau will continue to spearhead the women’s program and will work closely with Simon Larose. Guillaume Marx will oversee the men’s program with the assistance of Ruben Alcantara and Nikolai Haessing, a former NTC athlete who has been a coach for several months. André Parent, Nicolas Perrotte and Virginie Tremblay will return as the fitness coaches while André Barette will continue his role as Academic Consultant.

National Junior Training Programs

Tennis Canada has also put in place three National Training Programs for young athletes between the ages of 8 and 15, which have already been well established for a few years in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and now in Calgary. These programs are used to detect new talent and then ensure proper follow-up in their development and one day lead them to the National Tennis Centre. The goal is to collaborate with the various tennis clubs and their coaches to optimize the work already being done in clubs by setting specific goals.

2018 TENNIS CANADA
EXCELLENCE AWARDS

HIGH PERFORMANCE

JUNIORS

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR MALE: FÉLIX AUGER-ALIASSIME 
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR FEMALE: LEYLAH ANNIE FERNANDEZ

HIGH PERFORMANCE (WHEELCHAIR)

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: ROB SHAW
MOST IMPROVED WHEELCHAIR TENNIS ATHLETE: MITCH MCINTYRE

SENIORS

INDIVIDUAL:

HENRY CHOIR (Men’s Over 35 Singles World Bronze Medalist)

INGE WEBER (Women’s Over 80 Doubles World Gold Medalist)

ROSIE ASCH (Women’s Over 85 world triple Bronze Medalist)

TEAM:

DUBLER CUP TEAM – TARAS BEYKO, BEN WOO, JULIEN HEINE AND DAVE BELL (MEN’S OVER 45 BRONZE MEDAL)

EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD: EAST COAST OPEN (MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK)
GROW THE GAME AWARD: ZITO BACCARANI

COACHING

TPA AWARDS

COACHING EXCELLENCE:
CLUB PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE:
YEAR-ROUND FACILITY EXCELLENCE:
SEASONAL FACILITY EXCELLENCE:
COURSE FACILITATOR EXCELLENCE:
TPA SERVICE TO THE GAME:
GARY CARON SCHOLARSHIP:
RENE SIMPSON-COLLINS EXCELLENCE IN FEMALE COACHING SCHOLARSHIP:
PAUL & JOYCE CHAPNICK UNDER 10 DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP:

OFFICIATING

GEORGE RUSTSCHEFF EXCELLENCE AWARD: RANDY STILL
ON-COURT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: JAMES FORRESTER 
ERICA GILBERT OFF-COURT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: UTE BUFFOTOT
ROOKIE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: ALEXANDRE PARENT

2018 TENNIS CANADA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS

As the highest honour bestowed by Tennis Canada, the Distinguished Service Awards are presented to members of the tennis family who have made an outstanding impact on the sport in this country.

OTA
Tony Eames
Dennis Huss
Anne-Marie & D’Amico Family
Lambton Golf and Tennis Club
Peter Jensen and Laura McCain
Donald F. Hunter Charitable Foundation
David Job
Stan Hannaford
David Clark
In Memory of Jean MacPherson
Francois Castonguay, Uniprix
Gerry Goldberg
Diane Giard, Banque Nationale
Lynn Jeanniot, Banque Nationale
Jean Laporte, Rogers Communications
Sylvain Roy, Rogers Communications
Fadel Chbihna, Rogers Communications
Hector MacKay-Dunn
John McMurchy
Petr and Tom Pospisil
Hart Pollack
Slavica Jovic
Jamie and Nicole Bagnell
Ted Misztela and Jamie Power
John Henley
Nancy Taylor

Financials

Total Revenue

Total Expenses

Canadian Open Surplus (in millions)

Sport Canada Funding (in thousands)

Tennis Development Revenue

Tennis Development Expenses

Tennis Development Spending (in thousands)

View the Strategic Plan

View the Media Exposure Report