10. Increasing accessibility to tennis across Canada
In 2023, as part of the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program presented by Rogers, two covered court facilities were opened in Edmonton, AB and Waterloo, QC with Thunder Bay and Stratford, ON set to follow in 2024. These facilities increase accessibility to tennis across the country, even during our harsh winter months, with the program having impacted more than 4 million Canadians in total so far.
Plus, as part of National Bank’s Play Your Court program, two outdoor facilities (Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC and White Oaks Park in London, ON) received funding to make game-changing renovations to their courts.
9. Wheelchair tennis on the rise
Rob Shaw, who finishes 2023 as world No. 9 in quads singles, made appearances in all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2023 and ended the year as one of two flag bearers for Canada at the opening ceremony of the Parapan Am Games, ultimately earning a silver medal in singles. Meanwhile, Thomas Venos, Natalia Lanucha and Mitch McIntyre all won titles at this year’s Birmingham National Wheelchair Tennis Championships.
8. Auger-Aliassime, Fernandez end their seasons on a high note
Two of Canada’s top stars, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez, ended their 2023 seasons on a high note. Auger-Aliassime defended his ATP 500 title in Basel, while Fernandez earned her third WTA title at the Hong Kong Open.
7. Tennis Canada wins ITF Gold Advantage All award for gender equity efforts
The efforts invested by Tennis Canada and National Bank to promote gender equity in Canadian tennis, including the Game. Set. Equity. commitment, received global recognition this year. Tennis Canada was named the recipient of the International Tennis Federation’s Gold Advantage All award – the highest honour of the ITF’s Advantage All Reward and Recognition program.
6. Strong showings from young Canadians
There were several big wins this year from Canadians playing on the Challenger Tour and ITF circuit. Some of the up-and-coming players who claimed titles include Victoria Mboko (Saskatoon ITF W60), Marina Stakusic (3x ITF titles), Alexis Galarneau (Granby), Gabriel Diallo (2x titles) and Liam Draxl (Calgary).
5. Team Canada reaches Davis Cup Final 8
Team Canada presented by Sobeys had their eyes set on repeating as Davis Cup champions, but ultimately came up just short after bowing out in the quarter-finals against Finland. Seeing Milos Raonic back in Davis Cup action for the first time since 2018 was a special moment for Canadian fans, as was watching young up-and-comers Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau achieve stellar wins in Bologna’s qualifying round to clinch Canada’s spot in the quarter-final.
4. Michael Downey: A Tennis Legacy
Long-time Tennis Canada CEO Michael Downey announced that he will retire at the conclusion of 2023, marking the end of a remarkable tennis legacy spanning 20 years. After an extensive search, it was also announced that Gavin Ziv, who has been involved with Tennis Canada since joining the organisation as a ball boy back in 1987, will replace Downey as CEO.
3. Dabrowski and Routliffe win the US Open
Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe made their debut as a team at the NBO in August and only four weeks later they broke through in a big way at the US Open by winning the doubles title as the tournament’s 16th seeds. Dabrowski became Canada’s first Grand Slam champion since Bianca Andreescu’s US Open singles title in 2019, and the first player to win a Grand Slam women’s doubles title.
2. National Bank Open announces pathway to Equal Prize Money
The National Bank Open presented by Rogers announced that it will offer equal prize money to women and men starting in 2027, with incremental increases being made each year until then. With the help of WTA Ventures and National Bank, the total WTA prize money will be close to $10M USD in 2027, marking a 350% increase in just over four years. The National Bank Open will also adopt a 12-day format starting in 2025, following record-setting attendance numbers and increased demand for world class tennis in Toronto and Montreal this year.
1. Team Canada crowned world champions, claims first-ever Billie Jean King Cup title
Team Canada presented by Sobeys made history in Seville, claiming the nation’s maiden Billie Jean King Cup title. Led by captain Heidi El Tabakh, the team made up of Leylah Annie Fernandez, Gabriela Dabrowski, Rebecca Marino, Eugenie Bouchard and Marina Stakusic blazed their way through the competition to become the 13th nation to win the title with a 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. As a result of their triumph, Canada secured the year-end No. 1 spot in the world rankings.
