Tennis Canada announced on Tuesday May 31, 2022, that Aleksandra Wozniak, Tom Tebbutt, and Ron Ghitter will be officially inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame for their significant contributions to the success of Canadian tennis.
“It is with enormous pleasure that the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame Committee welcomes Aleksandra Wozniak (Player), Tom Tebbutt (Builder) and Ron Ghitter (Builder) into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame,” said Robert Bettauer, Chair of the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame committee. “All three have made such a positive impact on tennis in our country! Aleksandra is one of the top women tennis players in Canadian tennis history and holds the all-time record for Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) wins for Canada with a record of 40-12. Tom has provided dedicated coverage of Canadian and International tennis for over 45 years and helped raise the profile of our players to the front pages of our sport media. Ron has committed a lifetime to helping grow the sport resulting in a capstone achievement of being the principal driving force behind the development of the new Regional Training Centre (OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre) in Calgary. Their outstanding contributions to tennis in Canada is most deserving of induction into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame.”
“It is with enormous pleasure that the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame Committee welcomes Aleksandra Wozniak (Player), Tom Tebbutt (Builder) and Ron Ghitter (Builder) into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame… Their outstanding contributions to tennis in Canada is most deserving of induction into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame.”
Robert Bettauer
Chair of the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame committee
Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak is one of the most accomplished tennis players Canada has produced. During her 13-year career, Wozniak achieved a career-high WTA singles ranking of 21 in 2009, captured Canada’s first WTA singles title in 20 years at the 2008 Bank of the West Classic, and has 12 ITF titles to her name.
Throughout her career, Wozniak has many significant wins over Top 10 players including Serena Williams, Amélie Mauresmo, Marion Bartoli and Jelena Jankovic. A consistent competitor for Team Canada, Wozniak holds the Canadian record for most Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) wins for Canada with a record of 40-12 and was selected as the Women Tennis Player of the year in Canada a record five times.
In 2018 Wozniak retired from the professional tour and continues to influence and inspire the next generation through her Aleksandra Wozniak Tennis Academy in Bedford Quebec. A testament to her career and influence on tennis in Canada, Wozniak is nominated to the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2022 as a Player in her first year of eligibility.
“I am thrilled! It is such a big honour to be inducted in the Hall of Fame,” said Wozniak. “This means a lot to me. Representing Canada all around the world during my career has been a real privileged. I’ve played my heart out for my country and I will always cherish all the profound memories I made in my sport. Thank you for this amazing moment! I share this moment with my family and my parents who sacrificed so much for me to be able to have such a wonderful career, I am forever thankful.”
Aleksandra Wozniak
Tom Tebbutt
Tom Tebbutt has been a cornerstone of Canadian tennis media coverage for more than 45 years. Having attended 140 Grand Slams, Tebbutt has covered Canadian tennis for The Globe and Mail (1990-2010) as a tennis writer and columnist, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as a regular panelist, and a host of Sportsnet 590 The Fan’s ACES program.
In 2010 Tebbutt joined Tennis Canada as a weekly blogger until he announced his retirement in 2020. In retirement he continues to contribute to Tennis Canada’s coverage of Canadian players as a contributing blogger for many of the Grand Slam, ATP, and WTA tournaments.
“It’s been a privilege to be around tennis, and everyone involved in the sport, for all these years,” said Tebbutt. “Thank you to the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame committee for this honour.”
Tom Tebbutt
Having played a fundamental role in helping grow tennis by profiling the growth and development of tennis over nearly five decades, Tebbutt’s contributions to tennis extend beyond Canada. He has been recognized internationally for his contributions as a member of the International Tennis Writers Association and a recipient of the George Gross Award for Career Achievement in 2015. Tebbutt’s love and passion for the game brought tennis to Canadians across the country that inspired generations to pick up a racquet. Tebbutt is the first media inductee in the Builder category for the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame.
Ron Ghitter
Ron Ghitter has spent a lifetime helping to grow tennis in Canada as a player, coach, member of the Board of Directors at Tennis Canada, and driving force to develop year-round training facilities.
Ghitter’s connection to tennis began in the 1950’s as a player and developed into coaching at the Kinsmen Club in Edmonton, Alberta starting a junior program with 130 players. In 2007, Ghitter joined Tennis Canada’s Board of Directors and served for a 6-year period. While a member of the Board of Directors, he played an instrumental role helping to develop Tennis Canada’s plans to advocate for and invest in year-round tennis facilities.
Ghitter created a successful non-profit operating model after spearheading the development of the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre by personally raising financial support from all levels of government and private donors. In addition, Ghitter spent nearly a decade single handedly pursuing the Alberta Tennis Centre, which opened in 2016 and has introduced tennis to over 50,000 Calgarian youth through the Centre’s school tennis program. The Alberta Tennis Centre and remains the only non-profit, public accessible year-round tennis facility in Alberta, providing tennis services to 30,000 Albertans on an annual basis.
“I am deeply honoured to be elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame Builders category,” said Ghitter. “I accept the honour knowing that the success of the Alberta Tennis Centre in Calgary could never have become a reality without the generous donations received and the hard work and dedication of my colleagues who contributed immeasurably in realizing our goals.”
Ron Ghitter
A leader and builder that has spent a lifetime supporting tennis’ growth in Canada, Ghitter will join the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in the Builder category for his decades of dedication and lasting influence on tennis in Canada.
Wozniak and Tebbutt will be celebrated at the 2022 National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal, and Ghitter will be celebrated in his home province of Alberta at the Calgary National Bank Challenger in November 2022.
