What an incredible start to the year it’s been for Canadian tennis. Typified by Bianca Andreescu’s terrific run to the Indian Wells title, it’s tough to remember a more exciting time for our country in the sport.
I had the pleasure of being in California for part of the tournament and it was incredible to hear the sheer number of people talking about our players. From Bianca, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov to the more established Milos Raonic, people are pumped about the current crop from the north.
Even more exciting is that Bianca will be here in August, on home soil, to compete in Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. When was the last time a Canadian went into our tournament as one of the favourites? Given her recent form, Mississauga’s own could be in that bracket by the time August rolls around.
Even better, Bianca has been confirmed as playing during the Tuesday night session. The fact that it’s almost sold out is an indication of the anticipation and desire our fans have to watch the incredible 18-year-old in action in the flesh. What an evening that could be!
Before that, though, there’s the small matter of the Grand Slams at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. Who knows – with the way things are going, we could be welcoming a first Canadian singles Grand Slam winner back to our tournaments in Toronto and Montreal in August.
We’re certainly looking forward to welcoming back 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams to Aviva Stadium this summer. Having spoken to her multiple times over the last few months, I’m sure we will be hosting the three-time Rogers Cup presented by National Bank title-winner.
Given I spend a large chunk of my time at various tournaments throughout the year, I quite often come away with various ideas for on-site activations we can implement at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. This year, we’re delighted that many of our partners will be improving their activations to enhance the customer experience even further.
Hopefully, when you set foot on-site, you will notice the upgrades and they will contribute positively to the time you spend at our fantastic tournament.
For now, though, let’s all cheer on our players in France and the UK in the hope this amazing year can continue in the same vein it has started.
Until next time,
Karl
