The 2026 Steve Stevens Masters Tennis Championships presented by Predator Ridge was another showcase of the growth and importance of Masters Tennis in Canada.
The event, hosted in Ottawa, ON, featured nearly 600 men’s and women’s players across multiple age groups ranging from 30+ to 85+. In comparison to past tournaments, this year’s edition had the second-most participants, just behind Toronto in 2024.
Irwin Tobias, Tennis Canada’s Masters Tennis Advisor, has seen growth in all aspects of the Steve Stevens Masters Tennis Championships presented by Predator Ridge since starting as a volunteer in 2007. In an interview on Sept. 10, Tobias said, “when I was a volunteer, we had about 400 players, now we're close to 600. So, we've had to make adjustments. When I first started, we were at 20 to 25 courts. Now, we're using 35 to 40. We used to be at four locations, we're now at six.”
More courts and clubs have been needed to accommodate the increasing number of players competing, not only to be crowned champion, but to hopefully get the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Championships.
With the Steve Stevens Masters Tennis Championships presented by Predator Ridge being the nation’s highest-ranked Masters event, players must compete at the tournament to be eligible to don the Maple Leaf on the world stage. This year so far, Canada medalled at the 45+ World Championships in Portugal, winning bronze, with the country set to be well-represented again at the 75+, 80+, and 85+ events in October.
Read also: Masters Update by ABRYSVO - Titles Handed Out at Steve Stevens Masters Tennis Championships
“One thing that I'm proud of is that we, Canada, always send a majority of teams that go to the World's, where there are countries that are larger than Canada that don't send. We send a team in every age category,” Tobias said. “As a country, we're always competing. And we do win some medals. We've won many medals in the past.”
However, beyond playing for titles and ranking, the Steve Stevens Masters Tennis Championships serves as a lifelong memory for the players.
Men and women from coast-to-coast come together once a year and get reacquainted with one another through the event. This September, the tournament hosted a sit-down dinner for the first time since 2019, attended by nearly 600 players and 100 guests.
Read also: Tennis Canada’s Focus on Doubles Through its “Double-Double” Fund
“I think people enjoy the camaraderie and sociality. I think that is what’s important,” Tobias said. “We run well-run events that bring back people. They have a good experience, a more memorable experience. So many people said, ‘I'm going to Ottawa in 2026 because of the dinner. That's going to be what I'm going to take back.’ So, it's about the memories. It's about the friendships that they establish. It's about seeing people they haven't seen for a year and they rekindle the relationships.”
Tobias also mentioned that the search for a dinner venue for next year has already begun as the Steve Stevens Masters Tennis Championships presented by Predator Ridge heads to Montreal in 2027. The event will again be played on 35 to 40 courts across six locations, with four confirmed so far.
The goal for the years following, though, is to spread to new regions across Canada and create a Masters tennis pathway for those in other areas.
Read also: Frugoni, Parke-Bedard Double up at Beach Tennis Nationals
“We'd like to go to other regions like Victoria, Quebec City, or London. We'd like to grow to more areas, for example, Kelowna, maybe in Red Deer. That's our goal, to have events and to work with the provinces, not only to have major World Tennis events, but we want to look at the pathway,” Tobias said.
The next major Masters event in Canada will be the MT100 Atlantic Masters in Dartmouth, NS, which begin on Sept. 17 at the St. George’s Club. The competition has also seen a significant growth, with Tobias stating that the field has doubled in comparison to its 40 participants last year.
The Davis Cup is coming to Quebec City September 18 and 19 as Team Canada hosts France in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round. Tickets are on sale now. CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!
Feature Photo: Tennis Canada
