Family weekend was in full swing at Montreal’s IGA stadium on Saturday, giving young fans a taste of the tennis magic ahead of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
As the tournament officially begins, fans can explore the site, meet their favorite players, get autographs, try tennis on mini courts and much more.
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“It’s really fun coming here,” said one youth player. “And it’s really fun watching a lot of top players practice.”
“It’s also the start of the qualifying event in Montreal, so there’s 32 players playing today, hoping to win a match and then earn their spot into the main draw,” said Valérie Tétreault, tournament director at the National Bank Open. “It’s also your chance to see from up close some of the best players playing on the outside courts.”
The event was jam packed with fun for the entire family.
“I’m a fan of tennis, so I would like to see the match live in person with my family in order to push them to have a sport because the sport is very essential for the new generation,” said a father attending the event.
“It was fun because it’s like a tennis court, but a lot smaller, so it was easier to control,” said another youth player. “It was really fun.”
“As a family, it’s something we all enjoy together,” said a mother attending the event. “So, to actually come here and we can get so close to the practice courts and watch what they’ve been learning and just being in this kind of environment, it’s just something we look forward to every year.”
This year Montreal hosts the women’s portion of National Bank, the men’s competition will take place in Toronto.
“Today is family weekend during the qualifying event, but even tomorrow on Sunday we’re starting main draw matches, and we have a night session,” said Tétreault. The site is also going to be open to everyone. And for us, that’s important because we want tennis to be accessible. We want this event to be accessible. It is what it is because people keep coming back every year.”
“Now this is the time for having fun, especially here in the IGA tennis court, so it’s an opportunity we should seize,” said a father attending the event.
– Rogers Communications is the parent company of CityNews
