WELCOME MESSAGE

Welcome to the 2017 Tennis Canada Annual Report. 2017 was another successful year for “Tennis in Canada” as our sport continued to demonstrate widespread growth. This buoyancy is a positive reflection of how the various tennis partners across the country are working together to stimulate growth.

In July we welcomed back Michael Downey as our President and CEO, just in time to enjoy with all of us a record setting Rogers Cup presented by National Bank tournament in Montreal, where we had over 216,000 spectators, a world record for a one-week tournament. I would like to thank the entire team at Tennis Canada for the seamless transition to the new leadership regime.

The board had a very active year in 2017, overseeing three very busy sub-committees who have a close working relationship with the senior management team. One of the key accomplishments was the board’s input into the creation and approval of a new strategic plan for Tennis Canada. The new plan is rooted in three focus areas – Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, our ‘engine’, because the surplus from these two major tournaments contributes the vast majority of funds that the organization invests in tennis development; High Performance tennis, providing the ‘inspiration’ to encourage participation at the grassroots level and among tennis fans and finally, a new approach to advocate for more covered tennis courts, which in turn will provide municipalities across Canada with important capacity building.

We also welcomed a new board member from British Columbia, Mr. Richard Harris, who joined us in December. Richard is an avid tennis player and tennis fan. He brings a wealth of business experience and a sports sponsorship background, which the organization will certainly benefit from. Richard filled the provincial vacancy left by the departure of long serving director, Mr. Hector Mackay-Dunn. In his ten years of service, Hector made numerous contributions including being a driving force for the Vancouver based regional High Performance program as well as serving on both the Tennis Development and Finance and Administration board sub-committees. We thank Hector for his dedication and relentless support both in the boardroom and court side.

Our success is dependent on working with our Provincial Tennis Associations (PTAs) partners as well as the numerous clubs, coaches and volunteers across the country. Every PTA has its own volunteer board and president who work tirelessly to operate community based and High Performance programs. A special thanks to Mr. Mohamed Ismath, Tennis Manitoba President and the chair of the Council of Provinces, for his leadership and to all the PTA Presidents and board members for their continued dedication and commitment.

This past year I had the opportunity to visit many of our regional facilities and meet many passionate and dedicated regional leaders. I am confident that we are headed in the right direction when I see the level of energy and commitment from the wide range of partners we work with to ensure “Tennis in Canada” continues to reach new heights.

First Serve – Grassroots (Community and Kids Tennis)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 180 clubs participated in the inaugural Tennis Day in Canada
• Over 300 Rogers Rookie Tour events were organized in 2017
• 5,000 players participated in Team Tennis in the past year
• For the first time, the Canadian University Championships split the men’s and women’s events between Montreal and Toronto

There are always challenges when it comes to 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 country 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 delivered to children of all backgrounds.

Kids Tennis programs

Team Tennis and the Rogers Rookie Tour are two initiatives that are important to growing the game at the community level.

Team Tennis is an exciting program where kids play against other players of the same caliber in a team environment. Team Tennis provides participants with the opportunity to combine practice and play, with a focus on skill development during match play. Games are played using the Kid’s Tennis format, by adopting the appropriate equipment and court sizes based on the age and skill level of the participants. Team Tennis is extending its reach as there are now more than 85 programs across the country with over 5,000 kids participating.

The Rogers Rookie Tours also continued to grow. Over 300 Rogers Rookie Tour events took place in 2017 (compared to 230 in 2016 and 165 in 2015) with over 6,000 participants.

Community Tennis

Once again, Tennis Canada partnered with several organizations to make tennis more accessible to a greater number of Canadians.

The reach of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Canada increased to 26 clubs across the country. Thanks to these programs, underprivileged kids can participate in league play using donated equipment. A new partnership with the YMCA should encourage even more clubs to come on board in 2018.

First-ever Tennis Day in Canada

Clubs and coaches across the country welcomed over 5,000 Canadians and encouraged them to pick up a racquet and try tennis on Saturday, May 13, 2017 as part of the celebrations for Tennis Day in Canada. These Tennis Day in Canada events brought together new and returning players on over 550 courts in 180 clubs across the country that offered free tennis activities. Activities ranged from clinics and lessons to exhibitions and ‘Bring a Friend’ events.  It was a national celebration that showcased to all Canadians just how easy and fun it is to get involved in tennis.  And with 80 % of participating clubs reporting new players at their events, the campaign successfully drove participation in our communities and contributed to our mutual efforts to grow the game.

University Tennis

One of the many products of these developmental initiatives in communities across Canada has been an increased number of young adults choosing to maintain their involvement in tennis at the post-secondary level. There were a couple of firsts for the University Championships in 2017.

For the first year ever, the University Championships split the men’s and women’s championships into two different cities. The men’s championships, hosted in Montreal alongside the ATP players at the Coupe Rogers was won by the University of Western Ontario. The battle for the women’s championship took place in Toronto in conjunction with the WTA event with the University of Alberta emerging victorious.

2017 was also the first year that a team qualified from the Atlantic provinces, with Dalhousie narrowly beating out five other Universities for the right to represent the Atlantics on the biggest stage in Canadian University tennis.

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

Tennis Canada has noted a significant increase in the number of junior players enrolled in competitive events and the number of tournaments organized across Canada—sure signs that our sport has seen major growth in recent years.

In addition, the data collected through our integrated systems indicate that the number of juniors who meet the long-term athlete development guidelines is higher than ever: 1,150 players.

In response to ever-increasing demand, Tennis Canada and the provincial tennis associations have pursued their efforts to expand the competition structure. Indeed, some 500 tournaments for Canadian junior players (12 to 18 years old) were organized in 2017—50 more than in the previous year. Also, there were over 200 junior events for under-10 players, which represents an increase of 33% as compared to last year.

The Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) continues to grow

In the past year, Tennis Canada made it a priority to ensure that the caliber of Canadian coaches continues to rise, and efforts were therefore invested in coach education. In 2017, a total of 550 coaches from across the country were certified, including 45 individuals who earned Coach 2 and 3 competitive certifications. Also, the Coaching Association of Canada gave Tennis Canada the go-ahead to launch the Coach 4 training program in October 2018.

The TPA, which aims to contribute to the sport’s growth by supporting Canadian tennis professionals through services including certification, career development and an information platform, maintained its annual growth with a total of 3 300 members. Today, over 65 permanent installations hire only certified coaches—5 more than in 2016. Also, 81% of coaches working in permanent installations are TPA certified.

The 2017 TPA National Coaching Conference featuring special guest Jose Higueras, which brought together over 225 coaches, is among the year’s highlights.

Sports science and sports medicine

In 2017, Tennis Canada continued to make innovative strategies an integral part of the High Performance group. We increasingly turned to Dartfish video in conjunction with Tennis Analytics to produce sophisticated match analyses that support performance and development. The reports were used by our Davis Cup and Fed Cup coaching staff to help our top players scout opponents ahead of tiebreakers. The Davis Cup team also relied on live scouting data during the tie.

We are currently compiling video and analytics on the world’s best players, as well as on our world-class NextGen athletes. Their outcomes are compared to benchmarks (e.g. U14 and U18) to identify gaps in performance to help coaches focus on specific areas, enhancing each player’s development based on their own playing style.

Finally, Tennis Canada pursued its partnership with SMARTABASE and is pushing the boundaries with our MATCH integrated athlete monitoring platform, which enables physicians and physiotherapists to track athletes’ injuries and monitor their return to the game. Fitness coaches can also evaluate player training loads and recovery, and coaches can assess match statistics and easily pinpoint performance gaps.

These are just some of the exciting activities that help keep Tennis Canada at the forefront of innovation and provide us with a clear advantage in terms of player development. These resources yield insight into the overall health, training and performance of our athletes.

Officials

In 2017, five Canadian officials were recognized by the International Tennis Federation (three chair umpires, a referee and a supervisor).

Throughout the year, Tennis Canada officials served at the Rogers Cup events in Montreal and Toronto, as well as close to 80 Canadian, international and professional tournaments and many provincial competitions. Canadian official representation at both Rogers Cup tournaments reached 75%.

Also, in 2017, a total of 14 training sessions attended by 140 officials were organized in six provinces.

Tennis Canada is proud of the remarkable presence of Canadian officials on the ATP and WTA tours.

The National Tennis Centre marks its 10th anniversary

In 2017, Tennis Canada marked the 10th anniversary of the National Tennis Centre (NTC) at IGA Stadium in Montreal. Indeed, Tennis Canada’s full-time facilities were inaugurated in 2007.

Under the leadership of world-renowned coach Louis Borfiga, who oversaw a similar program for the Fédération française de tennis, young talents between the ages of 13 and 17 benefit from the expertise of qualified coaches and the resources to reach the highest levels in the sport. The development of national training centres is among exemplary international practices: the facilities bring players together under one roof to develop their basic technical, tactical and physical skills, gain international experience, learn to manage life on the junior circuit before embarking on the professional tour, build team spirit and acquire the values needed to represent Canada on the world stage.

Optimizing the program’s success

• Tennis Canada hired leading coaches, physical trainers, physiotherapists and tutors to ensure that athletes have access to qualified staff able to support them in all aspects of their development.
• The world-class facilities include a fully-equipped fitness room, 12 indoor and 12 outdoor hard courts and 4 indoor clay courts. NTC players benefit from all the resources they need to arrive at the highest echelons in tennis.

Thanks to Louis Borfiga’s expertise, the NTC has yielded promising results since its inauguration and made Canada one of the world’s top tennis nations.

In the past five years:

• NTC players have won four junior Grand Slam titles—a first in Canadian tennis history.
• Canadian athletes have appeared in 10 Grand Slam finals: eight junior championships and two professional events.
• Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard, two Canadians, were recently ranked in the Top 5.

Three regional training centres were also established in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and a fourth was inaugurated in Calgary in September 2017. These facilities bring together the best under-14 players in each region and provide additional programs for club managers, personal coaches and parents to enrich the training and competitive environments in which the top players evolve. These programs also serve to create a player pool for the NTC.

Backhand – Partnerships

Key Highlights:

• 2017 was a milestone year for Corporate Partnerships, who broke all-time revenue records
• Tennis Canada signed a new major partnership with Peugeot, which became the official vehicle of the men’s edition of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
• A brand new trophy was designed by Cambria for the tournaments in both cities
• Tennis Matters champion Ryan Fischer embarked on an 850 km bicycle journey for the 3^rd year in a row, raising a total of $15,000 for Kids Tennis
• Tennis Canada hosted a fundraising gala in celebration of the 10^th anniversary of its National Tennis Centre, raising over $360,000
• Tennis Canada launched the first edition of Tennis Day in Canada

Tennis Canada would not be able to work towards its goal of being a world-leading tennis nation without the support of its partners, including sponsors, donors, and the provincial tennis associations. In 2017, these partnerships continued to grow and evolve.

TENNIS MATTERS

On the fundraising side of Tennis Canada’s activities, 2017 saw more than 3,500 donors help raise over $2.2M through different channels to grow tennis in Canada.

In October, the National Tennis Centre in Montreal played host to the second The Ball is in Our Court benefit gala to support the next generation of champions. Tennis Canada gratefully acknowledges all those who participated in this event which raised over $360,000 for the kids in our national high performance programs. A special thanks to our board members John LeBoutillier, Marc Bibeau and Sébastien LeBlanc, who played a key role in raising funds during this event.

Once again, members of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club and Lambton Golf and Country Club enthusiastically took part in their clubs’ fundraising events benefitting tennis in Canada in 2017. Our sincere thanks go out to all those involved in continuing to make these fundraisers a success.

Thank you to Peter Jensen and Laura McCain for their passionate dedication towards growing University Tennis across Canada. We are grateful for their support which has notably enabled us to host the very first Canadian University Winter Tennis Championships.

We would like to acknowledge the Green Fischer family for their continued support of both Seniors Tennis and Kids Tennis. And a special mark of gratitude goes out to Ryan Fischer who embarked on a multi-kilometer bike journey for the 3^rd year in a row to raise funds to bring Kids Tennis to underserved communities. In 2017, Ryan’s Ride for Kids initiative raised a total of $15,000 with a pledge to bike 850 kilometers from the Aviva Centre in Toronto to Cincinnati, Ohio. We would also like to thank Kids Tennis supporters Mike and Miranda Verney.

Finally, the Lifetime Legends club welcomed Norman Elliott in 2017, whose contribution to the Salt Spring facility in British Colombia places him in the category of donors whose passion and commitment for tennis has resulted in total lifetime contributions exceeding $100,000.

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, 2017. Click here to consult the complete donor listing.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

This year, Tennis Canada continued to sign new major partners, including the addition of Peugeot as an official sponsor of the men’s tournament and the official vehicle partner. The deal begins in 2017 and will alternate between cities with the ATP World Tour. Peugeot already has a longstanding relationship with tennis as it is the official car of the ATP World Tour and has a presence in over 30 events around the world.

In addition to the new partnership with Peugeot, Corporate Partnerships had its highest revenue ever in 2017. This is due in part to strong relationships with our partners, who are continually striving to create innovative installations and attractions at Tennis Canada events. At this year’s Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, much to the delight of the passionate fans, Nespresso returned with an exceptional café situated close to the main entrance of the Montreal site. Aperol, which became a partner in both Montreal and Toronto this year, offered the thousands of people on site a variety of delicious cocktails to quench their thirst at the Aperol Terrace.

Among the many new partnerships Tennis Canada welcomed in 2017, two new significant deals were signed with Peroni and Le Creuset. The new relationship with Peroni allows the tournaments in both cities to boast an official beer of exceptional quality. Situated in the heart of the action, the House of Peroni served the Rogers Cup clientele first-rate beverages. The introduction of Le Creuset as an important partner in Montreal had a great impact on the tournament, including providing premium cookware to our official caterer.

In 2017, the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto also received new pieces of hardware. Designed by world-renowned designers Yabu Pushelberg and Cambria, this iconic new trophy was made to pay homage to Canada, which celebrated its 150^th anniversary in 2017. It features both a Canadian theme as well as Canadian materials to reflect the long history and importance of Rogers Cup in Canadian tennis. Cambria, a Silver Sponsor of Rogers Cup in both Toronto and Montreal, provided the quartz materials and state-of-the-art fabrication for the new trophies.

PROVINCIAL TENNIS ASSOCIATIONS

Our provincial tennis associations are a critical partner in growing the sport across the country. In 2017, Tennis Canada and the PTAs committed to a strong alignment in our national initiatives to increase participation across the nation. One of the focuses for 2017 was the continued development of Team Tennis. Since its inception, the Team Tennis model has been gaining momentum thanks in part to the enjoyable atmosphere, providing participants with the opportunity to be social, to combine practice and play, to mentor one another and to have fun while learning.

Another major initiative in 2017 was the launch of the first edition of Tennis Day in Canada. On May 13^th, Canadians were encouraged to try tennis in their community as Clubs across the nation offered free programming and activities. In total, over 140 clubs took part in the event with over 5000 people participating.

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
• Sarah Hunter, Canada’s most decorated wheelchair tennis player, announced her retirement
• Canada’s Super Seniors had another standout performance at the ITF World Championships

Canadian Teams impress at the World Team Cup

In May, Team Canada impressed on the international stage at the 2017 BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Alghero, Italy. Represented by Gary Luker, Rob Shaw, Mika Ishikawa and Sarah Hunter, the Canadian squad posted a sixth-place finish in its highly competitive division. A Canadian junior team also participated in the event for the first time in 15 years: Tomas Bourassa, Thomas Venos and Puisand Lai exceeded expectations and finished fourth. With these results, both teams earn a direct entry into the 2018 event, which will be held in the Netherlands next May.

Sarah Hunter retires

Earlier this year, Sarah Hunter, Canada’s most decorated wheelchair tennis player, announced the end of her illustrious 17-year career. With a myriad of accomplishments to her name, the two-time Paralympian and 11-time national singles champion was the country’s top singles player for 13 years. She represented Canada at 14 World Team Cup tournaments.

2017 Invictus Games

The third edition of the Invictus Games was a hit, as Toronto’s iconic Nathan Phillips Square hosted the three-day wheelchair tennis competition. Canada made its debut in the sport at the 2017 Games. National coach Kai Schrameyer led Leading Seaman (Rtd) Pearce Bourassa, Corporal (Rtd) Phil Badanai, Corporal Kelly Scanlan and Corporal (Rtd) Elizabeth Steeves.

Bridging the Gap (BTG) program

An introductory resource manual and instructional video were created and released to support BTG coordinators across the country. BTG is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help Canadians with disabilities be physically active. It provides early playing opportunities in three core wheelchair sports: basketball, tennis and rugby.

Tennis Canada Excellence Awards

At the Tennis Canada Excellence Awards, Robert Shaw (North Bay, ON) was named player of the year. The Most Improved Player award went to Tomas Bourassa (Delta, BC).

In 2017, there were five stops on the Canadian circuit of the ITF UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour. In total, 137 participants from 17 countries competed across Canada for US$70 000 in prize money. The exciting action was showcased at the ITF 1 Series Birmingham Classic in Mississauga, the ITF 2 Series Tennis Canada International in Montreal, the ITF 3 Series Vancouver International in Vancouver and the Windsor Classic and Niagara Open ITF Futures Series events.

SENIORS TENNIS

Another great year for our Super Senior tennis players

The results of our Super Senior tennis players at the ITF World Championships in Florida were the highlight of Canadian senior tennis in 2017. Once again, our Over 80 and Over 85 players excelled at the World Championships. The Canadian Super Seniors team won two silver medals in the Women’s Over 80, Doris Hart competition and inaugural Men’s Over 85 team competitions. The Doris Hart team, which consisted of perennial medalists Inge Weber, Evelyn Hustwit, Muffie Grieve and Rosie Asch, lost a heartbreaker to the United States (2-1) in a hard-fought final. Our men’s Over 85 team was also defeated 2-1 in the final by the United States. Bob Bédard, former Davis Cup player and one of the finest Canadian champions of all time, led the squad with the support of Brahm Faber and M’hammed Ed-Akhbari.

Muffie Grieve also picked up a gold medal in the Women’s Over 85 singles event when she got the better of fellow Canadian Rosie Asch in the final. Canada’s Super Senior teams won a number of doubles medals, including Inge Weber’s silver medal in the Over 80 singles and her gold in the Over 80 doubles, which she shares with partner Dorothy Wasser of the US.

Canada’s Young Seniors team wins bronze in the Men’s Over 45

In March, Canada’s Young Seniors teams competed in Cape Town, South Africa. Our best result was a bronze medal won by our Men’s Over 45 team of Taras Beyko, Ben Woo, Julien Heine and Dave Bell. They lost a tight semifinal to the Netherlands (2-1), which went on to win the event, and then defeated Germany (3-0) to take third place.

Steve Stevens Senior Nationals

Back at home, the Steve Stevens Senior Nationals made its way back to Vancouver. Nearly 500 players competed at five wonderful venues across the city. The Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, Arbutus Club, Jericho Tennis Clubs, Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club and Richmond Country Club did a tremendous job of welcoming all the players, who were treated to three great socials hosted by the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Arbutus Club and Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club.

A new tournament in Calgary

New to the senior competitive calendar in 2017 was the Wilson Calgary ITF Senior Championships in memory of Hans Maciej. The event was held at the beautiful Osten and Victor Alberta Tennis Centre. Players enjoyed a fun, competitive and well-organized event that will now be a regular fixture on the Canadian senior competitive calendar.

 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 2017, the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto, which are constantly striving to surpass themselves, were a tremendous success on and off the courts.

Montreal

The organizers, players and ticketholders of the 2017 edition of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal were treated to a number of spectacular matches and great weather all week. The tournament even set a new record with 216,236 fans in attendance—the world’s largest crowds at a one-week tournament. Despite withdrawals by headliners Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, the 2017 event remains one of the most memorable editions of Rogers Cup.

Spectators had the opportunity to watch excellent tennis by Canadian players, including Denis Shapovalov, who proved his tremendous potential by defeating Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal en route to his semi-final berth, becoming the youngest player in history to reach the semis of a Masters 1000 tournament. Sunday’s final was a clash of generations as the game’s newest sensation Alexander Zverev faced off against the great Roger Federer. Zverev caused the upset with a 6-3, 6-4 win over the Swiss maestro and, at just 20 years old, took his place among the world’s best. The event marked Federer’s first visit to Montreal since 2011.

Three major activities were held in Montreal before the start of the first weekend of Rogers Cup. First, David Goffin of Belgium and Brayden Schnur of Canada were on hand for the finals of Mini Rogers Cup at Olympic Park. Also, as part of the festivities surrounding the city’s 375th anniversary, Tennis Canada built a court at the top of the Olympic Tower and invited two Top 10 players—Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal—to hit a few balls. Photographers at the friendly match captured spectacular images with the city as a backdrop. Finally, the official tournament draw was held on the Rogers Cup site with 2014 champion and world no.10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who also took the time to answer media questions.

Athletes from other disciplines also took part in the tournament, at the ball hockey and baseball matches organized during opening weekend. Hockey idols Jonathan Drouin, Jonathan Huberdeau, Alex Burrows and Antoine Roussel tested their skills off the ice, and Derek Aucoin, Claude Raymond and Bruno Gervais went head to head against ATP stars on the baseball diamond.

Popular Québec actress and former competitive tennis player Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse was the tournament spokesperson and demonstrated her passion for the game. She was on hand for many activities, including the cocktail event on opening night, the opening ceremony and the Mini Rogers Cup medal ceremony.

The Green Plan turns 10

In 2017, Tennis Canada celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Green Plan. Since the plan’s implementation, Rogers Cup in Montreal has been among Canada’s most environmentally responsible events. Not only are organizers continuing to develop one of the most forward-looking green plans in the sporting world by recycling 91% of waste, they have also become highly creative in their practices: Tennis Canada donated $0.15 for each ticket sold to low-income families in the Villeray-Parc Extension neighborhoods.

Toronto

It was an exciting week at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto. With the WTA’s Top 10 and talented up-and-comers in attendance and the activities held as part of the event, the 2017 edition of the tournament provided plenty of unforgettable moments.

Elina Svitolina claimed the title, her first in Canada and fifth of the season. But her journey to the final was not an easy task. Indeed, she had to outmaneuver Daria Kasatkina, Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki. Williams and Wozniacki earned the very first wins of their careers in Toronto after earlier success in Montreal.

Ten days before the start of Rogers Cup, a very special competition was held in downtown Toronto to promote the tournament. Rogers and Tennis Canada presented an event at which Eugenie Bouchard, Connor McDavid and Aaron Sanchez battled in a clash that combined their respective sports and two activities. Against all odds, Eugenie Bouchard proved to be the best among them.

On the Thursday before the tournament, some of the players put their table tennis skills to the test at an evening hosted by SPiN in downtown Toronto to officially launch the activities. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Ostapenko, Françoise Abanda, Camila Giorgi and Donna Vekic were all on hand.

The official draw was held at the Royal Ontario Museum with two rising stars on the WTA Tour: Canadian no. 2 Françoise Abanda and French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

On championship Sunday, 1981 Rogers Cup champion Tracy Austin was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame during a ceremony held on Centre Court that was broadcast live on Sportsnet.

Influencer program

In 2017, an influencer program was created to invite public figures to Rogers Cup to share their experiences on social media. The program took many forms, including two special events: a foodie evening on Monday night and a family activity during Family Weekend.

ACE – THE NEXT GENERATION

Key Highlights:

• Canada added two junior Grand Slam titles to its record, with Bianca Andreescu and Carson Branstine being crowned champions at both the junior Australian Open and junior French Open
• Two young Canadian players made their Grand Slam main draw debuts, with Andreescu and Denis Shapovalov competing on the big stage at Wimbledon
• The Canadian Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams both established their place among the world’s elite, earning spots in the World Group and World Group II, respectively

At the end of the 2017 season, 11 Canadian players were ranked inside the Top 200 of the ATP World Tour and WTA Rankings, three of which were aged 18 and under. A total of 44 titles were won by our players on the professional circuit.

Leading the charge for many of these accomplishments was the next generation of Canadian talent. Among their many highlights from 2017 are:

• The duo of Bianca Andreescu and Carson Branstine won two junior Grand Slam titles at the junior Australian Open and the junior French Open
• After receiving a wildcard into the main draw, Félix Auger-Aliassime defeated the tournament’s third seed to capture his second ITF Futures title in Sherbrooke
• Denis Shapovalov won his first Challenger title in Drummondville after taking home the title at the Gatineau Futures two weeks prior
• At just 15 years old, Taha Baadi captured not one, but two national titles at the Rogers Indoor Junior National Championships for the U16 and U18 age categories
• After making it through the qualifying round, Leylah Annie Fernandez became the first player born in 2002 to win a main draw match at a $25K Challenger in Mississippi
• Led by Bianca Andreescu and Françoise Abanda, the Canadian Fed Cup team upset Kazakhstan to book their spot in World Group II for the first time since 2016
• At just 16 years and 10 months, Auger-Aliassime became the seventh youngest player in history to capture an ATP Challenger title in France, his maiden Challenger title
• Andreescu qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at Wimbledon
• Shapovalov added another Challenger title to his collection in Gatineau, defeating compatriot Peter Polansky in the final
• Katherine Sebov reached her first final on the Pro Circuit at the $60K Granby Challenger
• At the City Open in Washington, Andreescu became the youngest Canadian since 1988 to win a main draw match at a WTA tournament when she made a deep run to the quarter-finals
• Andreescu became the first player born in 2000 to beat a Top 20 player when she eliminated Kristina Mladenovic (no. 13) in the second round in Washington
• With her notable performances, Andreescu was voted WTA Breakthrough of the Month for July
• Shapovalov made a deep run at the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal, becoming the youngest player in history to reach the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 tournament, notably defeating Rafael Nadal along the way
• Shapovalov became the youngest player since 1989 to qualify for the main draw and go on to reach the fourth round at the US Open
• Shapovalov broke into the Top 50 for the first time in his career
• Auger-Aliassime captured his second career Challenger title in Spain, becoming the third player in history to win multiple Challenger titles by the age of 17, joining Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet in this exclusive club
• After his win, Auger-Aliassime became the youngest player to break into the Top 200 since Rafael Nadal in 2002, climbing over 400 spots in the rankings since the start of the year
• Later in the year, Andreescu and Branstine teamed up once again and reached their first WTA doubles final at the National Bank Cup presented by IGA in Quebec City
• Playing to remain among the world’s elite, the Canadian Davis Cup team was victorious in their World Group play-off against India thanks to a standout performance by Shapovalov, who won both his singles matches
• Playing in just her 12^th tournament on the Pro Circuit, the 15-year-old Fernandez reached the quarter-finals at the $60K Challenger in Saguenay
• Andreescu took home her second career doubles titles on the professional circuit at the Saguenay Challenger playing alongside compatriot Carol Zhao
• Playing alongside his compatriot Chih Chi Huang, Baadi won the second doubles titles of his career on the ITF Junior Circuit at a Grade 3 event in Bolivia
• Fernandez won two consecutive titles at Grade 2 events in Israel on the ITF Junior Circuit, the first of which was her first career junior title
• Shapovalov was voted the ATP’s Most Improved Player of the Year and ATP Star of Tomorrow

An impressive list of accomplishments, this success has only helped in establishing Canada’s place as a rising tennis nation on its way to becoming world-class. With players like Shapovalov (18 years old), Auger-Aliassime (17 years old) and Andreescu (17 years old) who are already providing inspiration for younger generations, the future of Canadian tennis is very bright.

In 2017, Tennis Canada celebrated the 10^th anniversary of its National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Montreal, an institution which has helped develop so many elite athletes over the past few years. Since it’s inauguration in 2007, a total of 40 athletes have taken part in the NTC, 11 of which are currently playing on the professional circuit.

With the National Training Centre and four Regional Training Centres in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, the most promising young talent across the country are receiving the best possible training and support. We have a strong crop of young athletes dedicated to the sport and working hard to constantly improve, High Performance development in Canada is certainly in a positive position right now.

2017 TENNIS CANADA
EXCELLENCE AWARDS

HIGH PERFORMANCE (ABLE BODY)

JUNIORS

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR MALE: FÉLIX AUGER-ALIASSIME 
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR FEMALE: BIANCA ANDREESCU

HIGH PERFORMANCE (WHEELCHAIR)

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: ROB SHAW
MOST IMPROVED WHEELCHAIR TENNIS ATHLETE: TOMAS VENOS

SENIORS

INDIVIDUAL:

MUFFIE GRIEVE (WOMEN’S OVER-85 SINGLES WORLD CHAMPION)

ROSIE ASCH (WOMEN’S OVER-85 SINGLES WORLD FINALIST)

INGE WEBER (WOMEN’S OVER-80 DOUBLES WORLD CHAMPION)

TEAM:

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

DORIS HART CUP TEAM – INGE WEBER, MUFFIE GRIEVE, EVELYN HUSTWIT AND ROSIE ASCH (WOMEN’S OVER-80 SILVER MEDAL)

MEN’S OVER 85 CUP TEAM – ROBERT BÉDARD, BRAHM FABER, M’HAMMED EL-AKHBARI (MEN’S OVER-85 SILVER MEDAL)

EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD: Mont Tremblant ITF Cup (QC)
GROW THE GAME AWARD: SUZANNE BRENTON

COACHING (Recognition of coaches of national champions)

TPA AWARDS

COACHING EXCELLENCE: MICHAEL HALL (ON)
CLUB PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE: RYAN SCHROFFEL (AB)
YEAR-ROUND FACILITY EXCELLENCE: OSTEN & VICTOR ALBERTA TENNIS CENTRE (AB)
SEASONAL FACILITY EXCELLENCE: TRURO TENNIS CLUB (NS)
COURSE FACILITATOR EXCELLENCE: EDDIE BRISEBOIS (ON)
TPA SERVICE TO THE GAME: RALPH MCNIVEN (AB)
GARY CARON SCHOLARSHIP: SHARON FICHMAN (ON)
RENE SIMPSON-COLLINS EXCELLENCE IN FEMALE COACHING SCHOLARSHIP: ANDREA RABZAK (ON)
PAUL & JOYCE CHAPNICK UNDER 10 DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP: JEAN-SÉBASTIEN LAVOIE (QC)

OFFICIATING

GEORGE RUSTSCHEFF EXCELLENCE AWARD: KAM SINGH (ON)
ON-COURT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: QUYEN NGUYEN (ON)
ERICA GILBERT OFF-COURT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: PAUL LEWKOWICZ (ON)
ROOKIE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: FRED PHILIPPS (BC)

2017 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.

GARY BREWER

Gary has been a longtime part of the Senior Administration at York University as Vice President of Finance and Administration. He retired in 2017 after over 20 years of service. He played a significant leadership role in helping Tennis Canada develop its plans for the successful construction of Aviva Centre. He also has been a strong supporter of Tennis Canada for the many ancillary events held at Aviva Centre over the years, including York University exams and convocation.

ALAN BROWN

Alan has been involved in the sport of tennis for many years as a coach and has done a vast volunteer work with the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association. He has been teaching wheelchair tennis since 1985 and has coached athletes all the way from the beginner to high performance levels. He volunteers twice a month at the Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, adapting each session to the children’s abilities and making sure they have fun. He also regularly helps out with a weekly recreational wheelchair tennis program, providing athletes with one-on-one attention. He has made an immense positive impact on the community.

MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN

Michael took over the reigns as tournament director of the prestigious Wilson Ontario Mixed Doubles Championships at the Toronto Lawn in 1981. He was originally asked to oversee the event for one year, and 37 years later he is still the tournament director and will be retiring in 2018. Michael’s dedication to the event is second to none. He has consistently run the event in a professional manner, helping to promote it and grow it to the premier event it is today – winning the Tennis Canada Senior Event of the Year in 2012.

TOM AND CARA NICOLOPOULOS

Tom and Cara are deeply passionate about tennis and attend every session at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. They have even traveled the world to cheer on Canadians at many international events. But their passion extends well beyond being fans of the sport. They are dedicated ambassadors, helping put racquets into the hands of Canadian kids through very generous annual donations to Kids Tennis programs. They also help fundraise every year for the Jane Finch Community Tennis Association.

DR. MAMDOUH SHOUKRI

Recently retired as President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, Dr. Shoukri has been a tremendous supporter of Tennis Canada. The relationship between Tennis Canada and York University has increased significantly over the years with the addition of new on-site events during Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, an alumni ticketing program, and increased hospitality. York has held its convocation ceremonies at Aviva Centre twice a year since 2009 and began holding exam sessions here in 2010. Aviva Centre also hosts numerous York University special events.

NICOLE NOBERT

Nicole is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Tennis Montréal. During her extensive career in sport development, she has successfully increased the participation and interest among young people in the Montreal area. Whether as a coach or as a director, she has always demonstrated a professionalism which has not only defined her career, but has allowed tennis to develop in remarkable fashion.

JACQUES HÉRISSET

Coach and organizer emeritus, Jacques is the founder and tournament director of the National Bank Cup presented by IGA in Quebec City. One of the most notable contributors to the development of tennis in Quebec, he founded the Hérisset-Bordeleau Academy at the Club Avantage in Quebec City. A few of the most promising Canadian players, both past and present, have hailed from this academy.

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