Growing the Pipeline – How Tennis Canada looks to sustain success for years to come – Tennis Canada

Is there a secret ingredient that makes tennis in Canada so strong?

How is it that the sport, which was previously viewed as a niche afterthought in our nation, now boasts world champions in Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, Grand Slam champions, and a robust pool of athletes ranked in the upper echelon of the game.

While the emergence of tennis superstars in our nation may have felt sudden, the growth of Canadian tennis did not take place overnight. So much work has been done behind the scenes to develop and grow players, give them a solid foundation, and set them up for future success.

Growing the pipeline here in Canada requires contributions at every level, from coaching to year-round competition, investment in mental health and wellness, and resources in sport science.

Beyond making strong investments in infrastructure, creating, and sustaining a pipeline that can transform prospective young players into high-performance champions is a pivotal goal.

Stages of Development

To develop and grow tennis players takes time, effort, and resources. Fortunately, Tennis Canada has enhanced their framework and model to optimize opportunities for its young players.

This starts with the Montreal based National Tennis Development Centre program, opened in 2007. Featuring superstar graduates like Bianca Andreescu, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alexis Galarneau, NTC provides young players between the ages of 13 and 19 with training, coaching, and resources to exceed at the highest level.

As the NTC looks to expand, they’re pushing the envelope for more greatness, recruiting more world-class coaches, physiotherapists, and tutors to guide athletes with support. Beyond the NTC, donor investments have helped to set up Regional Training Centres around the country to act as feeder systems into the full-time centre. These centres provide more supplementary training for coaches, leaders, and parents, and elevate the competitive environment for high performance athletes.

Overview: U15 Canadian Prospect Team

Meanwhile, Tennis Canada has expanded the Under 15 pipeline, recruiting, retaining, and growing further talent in the country. They are also expanding support for prospects within mental health and wellness, sport science, and further growing the competitive structure within Wheelchair Tennis.

As Canada looks to hold its place as leading tennis nation, what better time to invest and join in our mission? The future is bright for tennis in Canada.

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