Tennis Canada is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Masters Excellence Awards to recognize outstanding contributions and achievements within Masters tennis. For the first time, players voted to determine the Event of the Year, the Service of the Game Award recipient, and two Teams Awards.
“2023 was an outstanding year for Masters tennis,” stated Guillaume Marx, Vice President of High Performance at Tennis Canada. “We would like to congratulate the Royal Glenora and Derrick Clubs for an amazing event and Cora Wills for being such a positive influence on the game. I am also pleased to see our medaled Men’s Over 60s and Men’s Over 80s teams receive recognition for their remarkable performances at the World Team Championships as this was no easy task.”
EVENT OF THE YEAR
The ”Event of the Year” title went to the Western Canadian Indoor Masters Championships held in Edmonton, AB at the Royal Glenora and Derrick Clubs. As part of the tournament, over 200 players were welcomed to a memorable dinner at the Royal Glenora Club.
Tennis Canada would like to reserve special thanks for the organizing committee headed by Jen Cherneski and Gillian Shea, Tennis Manager Ryan Schroffel at Royal Glenora and Tennis Director Marvin Hinds for contributing to such an unforgettable event.
SERVICE OF THE GAME AWARD
The “Service of the Game” award went to Cora Wills, Chair of the Masters Tennis Committee, in recognition of her exemplary dedication over eight years. Cora’s commitment to the sport has significantly contributed to improving and growing Masters tennis.
TEAM AWARDS
The Men’s Over 80 team, consisting of Ali Bacha, Horst Dammholz, Shaheer Mikhail, and John Tibbits, won a bronze medal for their third-place finish at the World Team Championships.
Meanwhile, the Men’s Over 60s secured a copper medal by finishing fourth. Members of that team included Glenn Cleland, David Defehr, Denis Dumas, and Bill Wang. As such, both teams were recognized with the 2023 Team Excellence Awards for their outstanding achievements.
Thank you to our award recipients who displayed the passion and skill of Canadian Masters tennis on a global stage.
