In 2023, Tennis Canada and Canadian tennis took great leaps forwards in order to create sustainable change for women and girls in all areas of tennis, from high-performance and coaching to leadership and beyond.
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1
Tennis Canada and National Bank unveil Game. Set. Equity., a long-term commitment towards gender Equity in tennis.
Game. Set. Equity, is a long-term, holistic approach outlining how Tennis Canada will advance equity for women and girls at all levels of the tennis ecosystem. Over the next 5 years, Game. Set. Equity. will be delivered through 5 key pillars that align with the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Advantage All Strategy. The 5 key pillars include Lead Equitable, Inclusive and Safe Experiences, Grow Participation, Women Leading, Commercial Advancement and Equal Voice.
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2
National Bank Open presented by Rogers to offer equal prize money to both women and men starting in 2027
In June, Tennis Canada and National Bank proudly announced that the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (NBO) will reach a historic milestone by awarding the same amount of prize money to its women and men players beginning in 2027. The pathway to equal prize money will see a significant increase in earnings for the women’s event in the coming years.
“This is a really exciting day for professional tennis in Canada,” said newly appointed CEO Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer at Tennis Canada. “Creating a clear path towards equal prize money at our tournament has been years in the making and it required a lot of work. Fortunately, with the help of the WTA and National Bank, that goal will become a reality in 2027 and we couldn’t be more delighted.”
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3
The first Game. Set. Equity. Circle of Ambassadors is born
Many key figures in Canadian tennis joined Tennis Canada’s efforts in 2023 to create the first Ambassador’s Circle of the Game. Set. Equity. commitment. Bringing together various women and men dedicated to achieving gender equity in our sport, this Circle includes individuals from all areas of tennis: coaches, current and retired professional athletes, members of the media, senior leaders in tennis organizations, business leaders and community development leaders.
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4
18 organizations from six provinces awarded funding as part of the Game. Set. Equity. Community Tennis Grants initiative
The community grant offers opportunities for organizations working at the community level to advance equity in tennis and support self-identifying women and girls by encouraging them to continue playing while also supporting leadership advancement. Nearly 1000 women and girls in tennis across the country have been impacted following the first cycle of funding and many more will be at the end of the second cycle, which is currently underway.
Tennis Canada continues to run a content series to spotlight each initiative on its website and social media channels.
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5
Tennis Canada launcheS its first-ever WTA-specific campaign for the National Bank Open
This first WTA-specific marketing campaign not only promoted the women’s tournament in Montreal, but also sent a clear message that the players on the WTA Tour are showcasing some of the highest level and skill we have ever seen, regardless of gender.
The campaign delivered impressive results, with an audience 3 times more engaged with the National Bank Open when exposed to the campaign — speaking to the appetite for professional women’s sport. It also certainly contributed to enhancing the Montreal tournament’s popularity, which broke its attendance record for a women’s tournament set in 2014 (181,996 people) by welcoming over 219,667 fans to its site.
Watch the 2023 campaign promotional video.
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6
The UNMATCHED Gender Equity in Sports Conference continueS to prove its value in year 2
The conference was held during the National Bank Open in Toronto, with over 500 in-person attendees participating in the event (a 33% increase from 2022). Five-time Grand Slam champion, tennis icon, and entrepreneur Maria Sharapova joined as the conference keynote speaker, alongside expert speakers, allies and leaders from both within and outside of sport.
More than 75 per cent of participants attending the conference stated after the event that they would implement a positive change to support gender equity in their work, highlighting the key role that the event can play in sparking meaningful changes for advancing equity across sport in Canada.
Be the first to be notified when the 2024 conference tickets go on sale
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7
Tennis Canada achieves GENDER parity at ITS leadership levels
One of the main objectives of the Game. Set. Equity. Commitment is achieving and sustaining gender parity in leadership roles, both within the organization and across the business of tennis in Canada.
In 2023, the Federation took great strides towards that goal:
- Tennis Canada’s senior management team is now featuring more women (5) than men (3), a first in the history of the organization.
- Tennis Canada’s Board of Directors achieved 40 per cent representation of women in 2023 in June, also reaching parity for the first time in the federation’s history.
- Former WTA player Valérie Tétreault was at the helm of her first tournament as Tournament Director of the Montreal National Bank Open. Tétreault is the first woman to hold the position in the history of the tournament and is the only woman to serve as a Tournament Director of an ATP 1000 event.
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8
28 Girls. Set. Match. Tournaments were organized in 2023
Thanks to the commitment and support for gender equity work across the system, Tennis Canada worked in partnership with the Provincial and Territorial tennis associations and new community partners like Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto, 28 events were held for girls ages 8–16 that incorporated team tennis, social connection, leadership learning, and mentorship in an intentionally welcoming and fun environment.
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9
Tennis Canada wins ITF Gold Advantage All Award for Gender Equity Efforts
The efforts invested by Tennis Canada and National Bank to promote gender equity in Canadian tennis, including the Game. Set. Equity. commitment, received global recognition in 2023. Tennis Canada was named the recipient of the International Tennis Federation’s Gold Advantage All award — the highest honour of the ITF’s Advantage All Reward and Recognition program.
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LEARN MORE
2023 was an incredible first year for the advancement of gender equity in Canadian tennis, but the work has only just begun. To learn more about our strategy, program offerings and upcoming opportunities to be involved, visit the Game. Set. Equity.
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