There have been a number of top tennis players who have represented Canada during the open era, with the likes of Mary Pierce, Aleksandra Wozniak and Grant Connell all having competed to a high standard on the professional circuit. However, the current crop of competitors look particularly special, and with a plethora of future stars now plying their trade at the highest level, 2021 is shaping up to be a very promising year for Canadian tennis fans.
Scores by @atptour Canadians today:
?? @felixtennis 6-4, 6-1
?? @milosraonic 6-4, 6-4
?? @denis_shapo 6-3, 6-3We’re back. pic.twitter.com/Jx0MCv58mF
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) August 23,
2020
Established Players
Arguably, Milos Raonic is Canada’s most famous tennis player of the last decade with the strong-serving 29-year old having enjoyed a number successful seasons on the ATP Tour. The 2016 Wimbledon finalist is yet to win a Grand Slam, although he has reached the final four on a number of occasions. With a 75% success rate at SW19, he relishes the chance to play on the grass courts, and although he’s been hampered by injuries over the past couple of seasons, he is starting to show signs of getting back to his best.
Eugenie Bouchard’s 2014 heroics saw her become the first Canadian to represent the country in a Grand Slam final. However, it’s been far from plain sailing for the Montreal-born player since she peaked at career-high ranking of fifth. Despite this, her performances in the Prague Open at the beginning of August 2020 suggest that a resurgence may be on the cards. She battled valiantly against Elise Mertens, and after teaming up with a new coach and trainer, she looks likely to work her way back up the rankings in 2021.
The Newcomers
Although labelling the world number six Bianca Andreescu as a newcomer may seem a little odd, the 20-year old is still fairly inexperienced on the main tour. She is the highest ranked Canadian in the history of the WTA, and with a Grand Slam title already under her belt, she is expected to become one of the game’s greats over the next decade. The Ontario-born player hasn’t completed a competitive match since October, and she is not expected to defend her title in Flushing Meadows later this year.
However, she has been pencilled in for a trip to Roland Garros and is currently 12/1 joint third favourite in the French Open tennis odds to pick up the second Grand Slam title of her career.
In August 2019, Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian since
Faye Urban in 1969 to win the Rogers Cup. Later in the year, she became the first tennis player to win the Lou Marsh Trophy
as Canada’s athlete of the year. Learn more about her: https://t.co/TsNvipmzdb— Historica Canada (@HistoricaCanada) August 18,
2020
Although it feels like he’s been on the circuit for several years, Denis Shapovalov is still only 21-years old. The 16th seed has twice accounted for Marin Cilic in recent months, and although his performances on clay and grass are hugely underwhelming, his record on the hard courts is second to none. The Bahamas-based star ended the 2019 season with a 15-8 record on the concrete, and although he was unceremoniously dumped out of the Australian Open by Marton Fucsovics at the beginning of 2020, he should be able to improve on his performances at major events next season.
Felix Auger Aliassime is one of the most exciting tennis players on the tour, and the 20-year old has recently broken into the top twenty. Although he is yet to get off the mark on the ATP Tour, he has managed to reach five finals, and it will surely only be a matter of time before he secures that elusive first title. He has made significant progress over the last twelve months, and is expected to build on that early promise next year.
Canadian tennis is currently going through a purple patch, and with a number of promising players now competing at a very highest level, the future of the sport appears to be in extremely capable hands.
