University National Championships
TOURNAMENT FACT SHEET
May 28th - May 31st, 2026
Tournament Director - Demian Aquino - demian.aquino@tennis.qc.ca
Tournament Referee - Luc Berlinguette berlinguetteluc92@gmail.com
Tuesday April 7, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.
Teams must submit an estimated number of players and coaches that will be attending the event by the entry deadline.
Order of merits will be collected at a later date (April 20, 2026).
$625/team
The team entry fee includes registration for up to 12 players and 3 coaches. For teams with more than 12 players and 3 coaches, an additional fee of 90$ per player/coach will apply to cover the cost of inclusions (medals, t-shirts, player gifts, snacks, etc.)
Seeding for all four teams are determined by their regional results from the previous year.
Women's division: Quebec (1) will face Atlantic (4) and Ontario (3) will face West (2).
Men's division: Ontario (1) will face Atlantic (4) and Quebec (3) will face West (2).
MAIN DRAW DATES:
Women’s Division: May 28th and May 30th, 2026
Men’s Division: May 29th and May 31st, 2026
Practice Day: May 27th, 2026 (4 pm to 8 pm)
MATCH TIMES:
Women’s Semi-Finals: Thursday May 28th, 9 am to 4 pm
Women’s Final & Third-Place Playoff: Saturday May 30th, 9am to 4pm
Men’s Semi-Finals: Friday May 29th 9am to 4pm
Men’s Final & Third-Place Playoff: Sunday May 31st, 9am to 4pm
- The tournament will follow a team format (6 singles, 3 doubles).
- There will be two team divisions: Varsity Men’s & Varsity Women’s.
- Each division will have 4 teams, one representative from each region (West, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic).
- Each team entry must have a minimum of 6 players.
- The 2025-26 champion from each region will be invited to participate in Nationals. If a team declines their invitation, the runner-up from their region will be invited. If a region is unable to nominate a representative, a runner-up from another region will be invited.
OFFICIAL BALL:
Wilson US Open Extra Duty
COURT SURFACE:
Hard
All participants (players, coaches and spectators) are required to complete and sign the Tennis Canada Sport Safety Code of Conduct & Discipline and Complaints Policy as part of their registration.
DRAW FORMAT:
Each division will follow a single-elimination draw format. A third-place playoff will also be held.
COMPETITION FORMAT:
Participants may compete in a maximum of two matches. Each team must have six women or six men available to participate in each fixture.
Each fixture will consist of three doubles matches followed by six singles matches. The doubles matches collectively count for one point, while each singles match is worth one point, for a total of seven points per fixture. The team that wins the majority of the seven available points will win the fixture.
Doubles matches will be played as an eight-game pro set, with a seven-point tiebreak played at 7–7, using ad scoring. The team that wins at least two of the three doubles matches will earn one point.
Singles matches will be played as best-of-three sets using no-ad scoring. The bronze medal fixture will follow the same singles format.
Whenever possible, matches will be scheduled as follows:
- All three doubles matches will be played simultaneously,
- All doubles matches will be completed before starting singles.
- Once a team wins two of the three doubles matches the third doubles match may be stopped at the Tournament Director’s discretion.
- 5-10 minute break will be given to teams to prepare for singles
- All the singles matches will be played after the doubles,
- All 6 singles will be played at the same time.
- If less or additional courts are available for singles, the tournament director reserves the right to adjust the schedule accordingly.
If there are issues with time, court availabilities, rain delays or any other factors beyond control, it is at the tournament director's discretion to apply the following rule if a fixture has already been decided (one team has won 4 points):
- If match is in the 3rd set; players must complete that set.
- If in the 2nd set; players must complete that set and if needed a 3rd set 10-point super-tiebreaker will be played.
- If in the 1st set; players must complete that set and the winner of the set will also win the match.
- If they have not started; 8 game pro set will be played with a 10-point super tiebreaker at 7 all.
- No player can suspend play (default) unless injured or without a valid medical reason.
TEAM INVITATIONS:
Please confirm your team’s acceptance of the University National Championships invitation by emailing Demian Aquino at demian.aquino@tennis.qc.ca
TRAVEL SUBSIDY:
Travel subsidies will be extended to out-of-province teams based on the cost of travel. The final amounts for each region will be shared in mid-April.
Practice courts available on Wednesday May 27th.
Each team must designate a team coach or captain who will represent the team at all pre-event planning meetings and serve as the primary liaison between the team, its players, the school administration, and Tennis Canada.
All coaches participating in the University National Championships must be registered TPA members and hold valid Safe Sport certification.
For each fixture, teams may designate up to two coaches who are eligible to provide on-court coaching.
On-Court Coaching Regulations:
- Coaches may provide instruction to players during changeovers.
- Only two coaches may be present on a court at any given time.
- A player may be designated as one of the on-court coaches.
- Coaches are subject to the Rules of the Court. Any misconduct by a coach may result in penalties being applied to the player(s).
OFFICIATING:
The national championships will be officiated by one tournament referee and a minimum of two roving officials.
RULES:
All competitions shall be conducted under The Rules of the Court, published by Tennis Canada together with the regulations stated herein.
- Line-ups are submitted to the tournament desk 30 minutes prior to the start of each match and outlines the players for each match.
- Only physically able players shall be listed in the line‐ups. Coaches shall list players in the line‐ up only if they are able to play.
- Players must play in order of ability that is consistent with their order of merit that was submitted prior to the championships. The line‐up shall always be based on order of ability. “Matching up” is prohibited.
- A player shall not be moved down in the line‐up because of:
- An injury that has lasted and forced the player out of the line‐up for less than three weeks;
- Disciplinary measures
- In case of injury or sickness (before the line-up has been submitted), all players must move up one position from below the player who was substituted.
- If a player is injured during their doubles match the team is then allowed to substitute them out of singles and replace them with another player identified on their lineup sheet (reserve).
- A player can only be substituted provided no other singles match has begun
- All other singles players would have to be reorganized based on the order of merit with a new player being inserted.
- If a team has only 5 players, the team will default doubles #3 and singles # 6. All other players must be placed in order of merit for remaining matches. If a player is injured during the doubles and the team does not have an extra player, all players must move up and the team defaults at the #6 singles position.
- If a player is suspected of being injured by the tournament director or has defaulted a match due to injury in a previous fixture, the player must be cleared to play by the athletic therapist.
- Up to two coaches with only one coach per court are permitted to be on the court while matches are in progress, and must be identified on the daily line-up that is submitted 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the match.
- If a coach feels that the opponent's line-up as presented is unfair they should notify the tournament desk.
Doubles line up rule :
The doubles team order is determined by adding together the singles order of merit of both players.
The team with the lowest combined total must be listed first in the line-up. If two teams have the same combined total, the coach may choose which of those teams appears first.
Doubles order of merit is based on each player’s singles order of merit submitted by the teams prior to the event.
If a doubles line-up does not meet the required criteria, the referee will notify the coach to make the necessary adjustments in accordance with the rules.
Athletic Therapist
The tournament will have a registered athletic therapist on site during all matches, 1 hour prior to commencement until 30 minutes following the final match.
Stringer
Tennis Giant - 285 rue Gary-Carter, Montréal, QC, H2R 2W1
PHOTOGRAPHS
Will be available for viewing at the link below.
Group photo will be taken immediately following the player meeting.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Final rosters with the order of merit must be submitted by 11:59p.m. EST on April 20, 2026. Order of merits should be sent by email to Demian Aquino, demian.aquino@tennis.qc.ca
No changes to the order of merits are permitted once the official signed rosters have been submitted.
A player that is not included in a team’s roster cannot appear in a team’s line up throughout the competition.
Order of Merits will be published on April 27, 2026 and team coaches will be given 72-hours (3 days) to make any challenges.
All transport is the responsibility of the individual teams.
AIRPORT
Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport YUL
CAR RENTAL
AVIS: please click on the following Tennis Canada link to obtain up to 35% discount on car rental: AVIS
ON SITE PARKING AT THE EVENT
Parking available - Stade IGA parking.
Campus 1 MTL
420 Sherbrooke St W, Ville-Marie, Quebec H3A 1B2
WEBSITE: Campus 1 MTL
- RATE: $189 + tax per night, breakfast included
- ROOM TYPE: 2 beds
- RESERVATION DEADLINE: April 27, 2026
- RESERVATION LINK: https://campus1mtlshortstays.ca/
- BOOKING CODE : TenCan2026
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams. Along with the following awards:
- Men’s and Women’s Most Valuable Player
- Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year
- Men’s and Women’s Fair play award
- Men’s and Women’s All-Star team
- Rookie of the year
Tennis Canada is committed to a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved in tennis including young people, vulnerable persons, coaches, staff and volunteers. We believe that everyone is entitled to participate in an environment that is free of maltreatment, harassment, abuse and discrimination. Visit tenniscanada.com/safesport for more information on what Tennis Canada is doing to safeguard our sport.
Should you have safety concerns for yourself or others at this tournament, please contact the Tournament Director for guidance.
To report an issue - Tennis Canada knows how important it is to provide a safe, secure, and independent way of reporting issues that are impacting an individual directly or that they have become aware of. Tennis Canada has enlisted the services of an Independent Third-Party company called Whistleblower Security. To report a concern, please contact their 24/7/365 bilingual hotline at 1-866-921-6714. Additionally, you may get in touch with the Independent Third-Party organization Integrity Counts at their email address or via their website.
If you feel at risk of immediate harm, call 9-1-1. If you are in need of support and don’t know where to turn, the organizations indicated in the link below may be able to provide you with guidance - SAFE SPORT RESOURCES
All participants must be:
- A student who is registered for and pursuing a full-time course of study at a Canadian post-secondary institution in the past twelve months. An athlete’s “full-time” status is determined by each individual university.
- A full-time student in the term that your regional championships take place. You must be identified on the roster leading into the regional championships, no players can be added to the roster after the regional championships.
- Each team must submit a completed roster of all their eligible players signed by the Athletic Director or Registrar’s office, to the Canadian University Tennis Championships organizing committee six weeks prior to the event. Tournament directors may request further information to confirm player eligibility status which can include, but is not limited to, transcripts, confirmation from Registrar’s office or any other information that may be deemed material.
- Any U SPORTS member participating in the Championship must be a member of U SPORTS who has: a) Declared its intent to participate in the Championship two weeks prior to its regional championship; b) Paid the U SPORTS Sport Specific participation fee (currently, $500 for each team - women’s team and men’s team) due on an annual basis; and c) Ensured their student-athletes listed on the official roster for the Championship have declared their intent to participate and paid their athlete registration fee (currently, $50) on an annual basis.