All the latest on the players transitioning to the professional and college circuits
The 2023 season is well underway, and Tennis Canada is proud to present the members of the 2022–2023 class at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) presented by Rogers. Since its creation in 2007, the NTC has hosted some 60 players from across the country and built a proven track record that has helped its alumni reach the highest levels in professional tennis.
The new group is made up of members who arrived at the NTC just a few months ago from different provinces.
Boys: Keegan Rice – 16 years old (Regina, Saskatchewan), Adam Farag Cao – 15 years old (Calgary, Alberta) and Finn Muller – 14 years old (Toronto, Ontario).
Girls: Emma Dong – 15 years old (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Addison Comiskey – 15 years old (Ottawa, Ontario).
To find out more about them, watch these official videos.
“We’re thrilled that these five new athletes are joining the National Tennis Centre family,” said Guillaume Marx, Head of performance at Tennis Canada. “Since its inception, the NTC has made Canada one of the world’s fastest-rising tennis nations, and many of the Centre’s alumni—including Félix Auger-Aliassime, Bianca Andreescu, Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard—have joined the ranks of the global elite. We see that same type of potential in Keegan, Finn, Adam, Emma and Addison, and we’ll do our utmost to support them in making their tennis ambitions a reality.”
2022-2023 athletes
Adam farag cao
ADDISON COMISKEY
EMMA DONG
FINN MULLER
KEEGAN RICE
NTC players in the transition program
As new players arrive at the NTC, others begin their transition to the professional and college circuits, including Victoria Mboko (Toronto, ON), Kayla Cross (London, ON), Marina Stakusic (Mississauga, ON), Cadence Brace (Toronto, ON), Mia Kupres (Edmonton, AB), Annabelle Xu (Montréal, QC), Jaden Weekes (Montréal, QC) and Christophe Clément (Montréal, QC). Collectively, they had a stellar 2022 season, with the vast majority achieving personal bests in the junior rankings.
- Junior and professional circuits
- Victoria Mboko – No.491 in the WTA rankings: She may only be 16 years old and still eligible to enter junior events, but Victoria Mboko of Toronto is gearing up to compete in professional tournaments. She is coming off a strong season on the junior circuit. She rose as high as No.8 after taking home the title at the J1 Porto Alegre in Brazil, reached the semifinals of two junior Grand Slam championships (Wimbledon and the US Open) and fought in the doubles final of the junior Australian Open. She also made her mark on the professional tour when she secured her very first title at the ITF event in Saskatoon and played in the National Bank Open and the Granby National Bank Championships.
See what she had to say about her 2022 season and the goals she has set for herself here:
- Kayla Cross – No.392 in the WTA rankings: Though she is still eligible to compete in junior tournaments, Kayla Cross of London, Ontario, is preparing to spend more time on the professional tour in 2023 and may join the college circuit as early as this summer. In 2022, she had a lot of success in junior doubles. With Victoria Mboko, she won three titles and battled in two junior Grand Slam finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. On the professional tour, in addition to participating in the qualifying rounds of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers for a second year in a row, she entered the main draw of a WTA 250 tournament for the very first time at the Granby National Bank Championships.
- Marina Stakusic – No. 375 in the WTA Rankings: Stakusic, who is from Mississauga, began her transition to the pros last year and had a remarkable 2022 season She competed in her first two WTA Tour events: the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (wildcard) and the Granby National Bank Championships. While Marina was able to pick up a qualifying win in Toronto against an opponent ranked 83rd in the world, it was in Granby that she truly shined, reaching the second round of the main draw of the event. It was the first time in her career that she played – and won – a main draw match on the WTA Tour. In addition to this accomplishment, Marina clinched a doubles title at the Saskatoon Challenger alongside compatriot Kayla Cross, earning the first professional title of her young career.
- Cadence Brace – No. 416 in the WTA Rankings: The 18-year-old Cadence Brace, from Toronto, has also begun her transition to the professional tours in 2022. While she played in several ITF events last year, her best result came at the Granby National Bank Championships, a WTA 250 event, where she not only qualified for the main draw but also reached the second round (a personal best) by beating a Top 100 player for the first time in her career. Ranked 1277th at the end of 2021, she continues to climb the rankings and is currently sitting at the highest rank of her career.
- NCAA college tennis circuit
- Jaden Weekes (University of Kentucky), Christophe Clément (University of Kentucky), Mia Kupres (Texas A&M) and Annabelle Xu (University of Virginia) are all pursuing their tennis dreams on the college circuit in the US.
- The University of Kentucky currently ranks second in the men’s team standings. On the women’s side, Texas A&M and the University of Virginia are no.3 and no.7, respectively. Click here to view the rankings.
Editor’s note: the NTC since its creation in 2007
- 58 players trained at the NTC (including current players)
- 42 players enrolled in the NTC program (19 girls, 23 boys)
- 13 players on the professional tours
- 24 players graduated from a US university
- 8 players competing on the NCAA college tennis circuit
- 6 Grand Slam singles titles won by past and current CNT players (5 junior championships, 1 professional)
- 2 CNT alumni on the Canadian team that won the 2022 Davis Cup
- 12 Grand Slam final berths by past and current CNT players (9 junior championships, 3 professional)
- 1,000 training hours annually
- Over 600 hours of academic studies annually
To learn more about the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers, click here.
