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Tennis Canada held its annual year-end press convention on Tuesday to replicate on an distinctive 2024 season with distinguished highlights each on and off the court docket.
Gavin Ziv, Chief Govt Officer; Eva Havaris, Senior Vice President of Tennis Improvement and Partnerships; Valerie Tetreault, Vice President of Communications, Skilled Occasions and Event Director, Nationwide Financial institution Open introduced by Rogers – Montreal; and Guillaume Marx, Vice President of Excessive Efficiency, led an in depth evaluation of the yr, trying again on every little thing from the performances of Canada’s high skilled gamers to the accomplishments and progress of the group’s grassroots initiatives.
“It has been one more encouraging yr for Canadian tennis,” stated Ziv. “We now have seen large progress in our efforts to develop the game throughout the nation, highlighted by the constructive outcomes of the not too long ago launched ITF International Report. We now have additionally loved distinctive and constant outcomes on the court docket, profitable a primary Olympic medal in tennis in 24 years, celebrating a historic WTA Finals title and notably sturdy performances at our home occasions. As my first yr as Chief Govt Officer, I’ll replicate on 2024 fondly however, most significantly, it has supplied me and the whole group with much more motivation and optimism heading into what is about to be an thrilling 2025 and past.”
Click on here to entry our infographic which summarizes the 2024 Canadian tennis season by the numbers.
ON-COURT SUCCESS
All year long, Canadian tennis gamers collected titles, accolades and made historical past, persevering with to cement Canada’s place as a world-leading tennis nation. A few of the highlights included:
Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime declare bronze at Paris 2024 Olympics
On the Paris Olympics, Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime ended an almost-quarter century wait by profitable Canada’s first Olympic medal in tennis for twenty-four years (Daniel Nestor and Sébastien Lareau, Sydney 2000). The pair beat Wesley Koolhof and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands in straight units, 6-3, 7-6(2), to secure bronze. Auger-Aliassime additionally finished fourth in men’s singles. Each gamers had been celebrated throughout on-court ceremonies on the Nationwide Financial institution Open introduced by Rogers in Toronto and Montreal.
Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe win Canada’s first-ever WTA Finals title
To go alongside her Olympic medal, Dabrowski was additionally victorious at the WTA Finals, alongside doubles associate Erin Routliffe. One other excellent yr culminated within the pair beating No. 8 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend within the doubles closing to assert the first-ever WTA Finals title in Canadian historical past. Dabrowski and Routliffe ended the yr ranked No. 3 and No. 2 in doubles on the WTA Tour respectively, having additionally won the Nottingham Open in June.
Crew Canada reaches Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals
Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup groups completed the yr among the many world’s elite having both qualified for their respective Finals. After profitable the title in 2023, the ladies’s staff secured automated entry to the quarter-finals, the place they had been overwhelmed 2-0 by Nice Britain, whereas the boys’s staff secured a Qualifier win over the Republic of Korea in February earlier than sweeping Argentina, Finland and Nice Britain on the Davis Cup Group Stage in Manchester, Nice Britain. Within the quarter-finals, they had been overwhelmed 2-0 by Germany. Each groups will now compete of their respective Qualifiers in 2025 with the boys set to host Hungary in February.
66 titles gained on the skilled excursions*
There was constant success for Canadian gamers on the WTA, ATP and ITF circuits in 2024. General, they gained 66 titles – 19 in singles, 27 in doubles and 20 in wheelchair tennis. The choose of the bunch had been Denis Shapovalov’s second-career ATP title at the 250-level Belgrade Open, Dabrowski and Routliffe’s aforementioned WTA 250 doubles title in Nottingham, Marina Stakusic’s first-career title at the WTA 125 Abierto Tampico, and Rebecca Marino’s biggest-career title at the WTA 125 event in Midland, USA. Different notable performances noticed Auger-Aliassime reach a Masters 1000 final on the Madrid Open and Gabriel Diallo contest his first-career ATP final at the 250-level Almaty Open in Kazakhstan.
Canadian champions in seven occasions on house soil
There was additionally large success for Canadians in occasions on house soil, with champions in singles and doubles at seven home Challengers. Kayla Cross claimed three titles, profitable the singles occasion at the Saskatoon Challenger and doubles on the Edmonton and Calgary National Bank Challengers. She additionally made the singles closing at the Tevlin Challenger in Toronto. Marino gained the singles title in Calgary, whereas the doubles pairing of Mia Kupres and Ariana Arsenault gained titles in Saskatoon and at the Granby National Bank Championships. Liam Draxl (singles and doubles) and Cleeve Harper (doubles) gained titles in Edmonton, and Draxl additionally loved singles success at Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures.
Eight Canadians attain career-high rankings contained in the High 300
Over the course of 2024, eight Canadians have reached career-high rankings contained in the High 300 on the WTA and ATP Excursions:
- Gabriela Dabrowski – doubles No. 3 (July)
- Gabriel Diallo – singles No. 86 (November)
- Marina Stakusic – singles No. 116 (October)
- Ariana Arsenault – doubles No. 149 (November)
- Kayla Cross – singles No. 182, doubles No. 269 (each November)
- Mia Kupres – doubles No. 185 (November)
- Liam Draxl – singles No. 233, doubles No. 152 (each October)
- Carson Branstine – singles No. 252 (November)
Rob Shaw and Frederique Berube Perron fly the Canadian flag in wheelchair tennis
Canadian wheelchair tennis athletes excelled on the world stage in 2024. Rob Shaw is ranked No. 7 on the planet in quad singles and reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, shedding to eventual gold medallist and world No. 2 Niels Vink. In the meantime, 18-year-old Frederique Berube Perron turned the primary Canadian ever to compete in a junior wheelchair tennis Grand Slam on the US Open, reaching the ladies’ semifinals in September.
OFF-COURT HIGHLIGHTS
Whereas Canada’s high gamers had been triumphing on-court, Tennis Canada set about persevering with to develop the game and its participant base throughout the nation in 2024.
Canada confirms its place as a world-leading tennis nation with constructive ITF International Report outcomes
The ITF International Report, essentially the most complete research of tennis participation and efficiency on the planet, was launched in November and the results for Canadian tennis were very positive. Among the many highlights, it confirmed that Canada is now second globally for the share of its inhabitants enjoying tennis at 12.8%; gender fairness in participation has additionally surged, with 46% of tennis gamers in Canada now being girls and ladies, up from 29.2% in 2021; and the variety of Canadian aggressive junior athletes with world-rankings has additionally grown, with an extra 16 boys and 12 ladies since 2022.
Gender fairness stays a continued space of focus for the group
In 2024, Tennis Canada continued to prioritize gender fairness through its Recreation. Set. Fairness. (GSE) dedication in partnership with Nationwide Financial institution. This yr, 21 applications – unfold throughout 9 provinces and one territory – obtained funding through the GSE Group Tennis Grants, bringing the entire quantity invested in neighborhood initiatives through this system to just about $200,000. Past that, GSE delivered 45 initiatives nationwide, impacting 4,500 girls and ladies over the course of 2024. Additionally in partnership with Nationwide Financial institution, the UNMATCHED: Gender Fairness in Sports activities Convention hosted 575 attendees, together with over 50 “Subsequent Gen” neighborhood leaders for gratis, who loved the chance to listen to from keynote speaker, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.
Gender fairness was additionally front-and-centre in the course of the Nationwide Financial institution Open (NBO) in Toronto and Montreal, with the umpires’ chairs on centre court docket in each cities painted purple, the color of fairness. On Thursday, August 8, the tournaments hosted distinguished girls in sport to carry out a pre-match coin toss. Shortly after the NBO, Tennis Canada ran a mass advertising marketing campaign meant to boost consciousness of its GSE program. Lastly, the Billie Jean King Cup Champions Tour noticed the well-known trophy journey throughout all ten provinces, celebrating the previous, current and way forward for the game, with GSE actions provided in any respect stops to offer skilled improvement alternatives for ladies leaders and encourage the following technology of girls athletes.
Accessibility stays a problem Tennis Canada is tackling with its companions
The ITF International Report highlighted a decline within the complete variety of publicly accessible leisure courts since 2021 (-178), which may be attributed to various elements together with getting older amenities and conversions to pickleball courts. Nonetheless, the quantity indoor courts has elevated since 2021 (+68) with that quantity set to develop additional because of the 12 months-Spherical Group Tennis Courts Program introduced by Rogers, which introduced six new tasks in 2024, and reached 37% of its goal of constructing 160 new indoor courts throughout 30 amenities by 2029. In the meantime, the Nationwide Financial institution Play Your Court docket Program introduced that 4 municipalities would obtain funding in 2024. Upon their completion, seven tasks for a complete of 34 revitalized courts may have been aided by this system since its launch in 2022.
First Tennis Month in Canada hosted in June, led by Rogers First Set programming
Tennis Canada launched the first-ever Tennis Month in Canada earlier this yr with occasions hosted in all ten provinces and in two territories all through June. Actions, lots of which had been led by Rogers First Set programming, had been focussed on inclusivity, welcoming gamers from all backgrounds and talents. With Tennis Month, 60 distinctive applications throughout Canada adopted and carried out Rogers First Set programming in 2024, whereas First Set workshops and coaching classes had been attended by 250 coaches and organizers over the course of the yr. Tennis Month and Rogers First Set are simply two of the various initiatives being carried out to assist guarantee Tennis Canada reaches its purpose to get 100,000 extra youth enjoying tennis by 2027.
Nationwide Financial institution Open enjoys one other stellar yr, whereas 2025 12-day schedule is confirmed
The Nationwide Financial institution Open occasions in Toronto and Montreal proceed to be the cornerstone of the Canadian tennis calendar. 150,729 followers attended in Toronto, a report for a WTA occasion in Ontario, whereas the Montreal occasion recorded its second-best attendance ever (226,839) regardless of challenges on account of inclement climate. In the meantime, as consideration turns to a brand new period for the tournaments in 2025, Tennis Canada confirmed the schedule for its first-ever 12-day, 96-player predominant draw NBOs. The 2025 occasions will happen from July 26 to August 7 with a redefined expertise set to greet attendees, on and off the court docket. Meaning extra tennis stars enjoying extra matches, over extra days, with extra alternatives for followers to get near their heroes in motion.
*Correct as of November 29, 2024
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