On Wednesday, Tennis Canada announced the list of players who will compete at the 2022 Tevlin Challenger at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. The tournament – a $60,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) Circuit event – will take place from October 24-30.
Fans will get the chance to cheer on several Canadians, including Toronto native Katherine Sebov who will be playing in the event’s main draw. Also scheduled to take part are fellow Canucks Marina Stakusic, Cadence Brace, Stacey Fung, and Kayla Cross.
Last held in 2019, the tournament’s reigning champion, Francesca Di Lorenzo of the United States, claimed the title with a monumental win over former World No. 13 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium. Di Lorenzo – currently ranked No. 251 on the WTA Tour – will be back to defend her crown this year and will be accompanied by a strong player field. The 25-year-old American looks to be the first back-to-back singles champion in Tevlin Challenger history.
Joining Di Lorenzo are Top 150 players Su Jeong Jang (No. 133) of the Republic of Korea and Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund (No. 136). Both Jang and Bjorklund are having the best season of their careers and made their Grand Slam debuts in 2022. Veteran and former World No. 12 Yanina Wickmayer will also be making her way up to Toronto as she prepares to make her first appearance at the event.
“To be hosting the event for the first time since 2019 and to have so many great players signed up and excited to play, it’s such an honour,” said Ryan Borczon, Tournament Director of the Tevlin Challenger. “Over the years, we have seen numerous players who competed in our tournament go on to make an immediate impact on the WTA Tour. It just goes to show the high-level tennis to expect at the Challenger level and how important these events are in the development of a tennis player’s career.”
Click here to see the full list of players scheduled to take part in the 2022 Tevlin Challenger. All matches from the event will be streamed live via the official ITF website. Admission to the event is free.
Tevlin Challenger to showcase Women & Girls initiatives
Aligning with Tennis Canada’s continued prioritization of gender equity and the promotion of women and girls’ tennis, we are also pleased to confirm that the Tevlin Challenger will feature multiple female-focused initiatives. On qualifying Sunday, in partnership with National Bank, the tournament will host 15 girls from the Philpott Children’s Tennis Girls Program to take part in a leadership workshop, where they will get the opportunity to learn about career pathways available in tennis, such as coaching, officiating, and sport management.
The event will also host an all-girls tournament on championship Sunday. The Girls. Set. Match. Tie-break Tournament presented by National Bank, which is gearing up for its second edition, aims to provide girls with a unique opportunity to compete in a fun, short-format tournament that removes the pressure of regular competition.
Additionally, an all-women crew of officials will be present throughout the week, and the ball crew for the tournament’s Sunday final will consist of a group of aspiring female tennis players, meaning all on-court staff for the tournament’s championship match will be female. This group of girls will also be provided a development opportunity in the form of a question-and-answer session with a Canadian player.
“We are thrilled to continue to seize every opportunity to support the advancement of women and girls in tennis in Canada,” said Eva Havaris, Vice-President of Partnerships and Participation at Tennis Canada. “We need to be intentional in our efforts to achieve progress in this regard and ensure that the next generation of female tennis players see women in leadership roles at our professional and national tennis events to inspire them to become leaders one day too.”
