Canadian tennis and wheelchair tennis teams nominated for 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games

Ten athletes set to represent Canada in Santiago, Chile including Rebecca Marino and Rob Shaw

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and Tennis Canada have confirmed the athletes nominated to represent Canada at the 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games. The tennis tournament will take place from October 23-29 with the wheelchair tennis events set to run from November 19-25, both in Santiago, Chile.

Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC) headlines the list of Canadians who will take part in the women’s tennis event. The 32-year-old, ranked No. 139 on the WTA Tour, is a regular member of Team Canada for Billie Jean King Cup ties and was part of the team that beat Belgium 3-2 earlier this year in her hometown Vancouver to qualify for November’s Finals. Marino, who competed in women’s singles at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, is looking forward to the chance to represent Team Canada again.

“The Pan Am Games have always been a great place for Canadian athletes to shine and I’m happy to announce my participation with Team Canada in Santiago,” said Marino. “I’m looking forward to a great tournament playing for my country and visiting Santiago for the first time”

Joining Marino is fellow Billie Jean King Cup regular Carol Zhao (Toronto, ON), currently ranked No. 229, who has previous success at the Pan American Games having claimed a gold medal in doubles alongside Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa, ON) in Toronto in 2015. Stacey Fung (North Vancouver, BC) rounds out the competitors in the women’s event. Fung is ranked No. 230 on the WTA Tour and has won eight career ITF titles, including the 2022 ITF W25 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. As well as playing singles, Marino and Fung will join forces in doubles.

Canada’s entry in men’s singles is Justin Boulais (Oakville, ON). Ranked No. 625 on the ATP Tour, 21-year-old Boulais won the ITF M15 in Champaign, Illinois in 2022 and received a qualifying wild card to the National Bank Open presented by Rogers earlier this year. Boulais currently plays for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAA. In addition to the men’s singles event, Boulais will team up with Fung in mixed doubles.

At Santiago 2023, the gold and silver medallists in the singles events will qualify themselves directly for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, provided they are in the top 400 of their respective world singles ranking on June 10, 2024 and their NOC has quotas available following the allocation of Olympic qualifying spots via the WTA and ATP rankings on that date.

The Canadian tennis team coaches and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are

Roberto Brogin (North Vancouver, BC) and Lan Yao-Gallop of (Edmonton, AB).

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations. The athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their respective WTA or ATP ranking on September 11, 2023.

The latest Team Canada roster for the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.

ROB SHAW TO LEAD CANADIAN CONTINGENT AT THE PARAPAN AMERICAN GAMES

Canada’s team for the Parapan American Games is comprised of six athletes, making it the largest wheelchair tennis team the country has ever sent to a multi-sport Games. In the women’s event, Natalia Lanucha (Pincourt, QC), ranked No. 53 in singles, is joined by No. 57-ranked Anne-Marie Dolinar (Deep River, ON), who received a bipartite commission allocation position. Both are established players on the ITF circuit and have Birmingham National singles and doubles championships to their names.

In the quad event, World No. 9 Rob Shaw (North Bay, ON) leads the Canadian team. The 33-year-old has won 22 ITF singles and 22 ITF doubles titles and has fond memories of the Parapan American Games having claimed a gold medal in 2019 in Lima, Peru. He is joined by 38-year-old Mitch McIntyre (Vancouver, BC), who received a bipartite commission allocation position, in the quad division. McIntyre, currently ranked No.24, has won four ITF singles and six ITF doubles titles.

In the men’s wheelchair event, Thomas Venos (Anmore, BC) and Barry Henderson (Mission, BC) will represent Canada. Venos is ranked No. 60 and has won ten ITF titles as well as the Birmingham Nationals singles and doubles titles on multiple occasions. Henderson, ranked No. 86, has three ITF titles to his name and is a three-time Birmingham Nationals doubles champion. All six players will take part in the singles and doubles events.

“I have had these Games marked on my calendar for the last two years,” said Shaw. “There is something incredibly special about putting on your country’s colours and representing them on the world stage. I have been fortunate to experience some amazing tournaments this year having competed at all four Grand Slams, but it’s the Parapan Am Games in Santiago that I am most excited for. This opportunity only comes around every four years and I’m ready and hungry to make a push for the podium.”

The Canadian wheelchair tennis team coaches and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games are Christian Gingras (Quebec City, QC) and Sarah Hunter (Surrey, BC)

The winners of the women’s and men’s singles events at the Parapan American Games will qualify for 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Prior to being officially named to the Canadian Parapan American Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The six athletes selected were determined following the publication of the world rankings on September 11, 2023 and in accordance with the 2023 Parapan American Games Qualification System for Wheelchair Tennis.

The latest Team Canada roster for the Parapan American Games Santiago 2023 can be found here.