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(Montreal) The second half of 2025 could prove to be a pivotal moment in the history of tennis in the country. At the same time, it is the sequence of promising Canadian performances on the courts – hard surface, clay, grass, whatever – over the last 15 years.

The saying “little train goes a long way” applies quite well to Tennis Canada. And with six representatives in the top 50 at the end of 2025 – including Gabriela Dabrowski, 10^e in doubles – which do not seem about to plateau, this little train could pick up speed in 2026.

The representatives of the Unifolié completed 2025 with 15 titles on the two major professional circuits, nine among the ladies, six among the men. Out of the lot, a triumph stands out.

“This year, it’s certain that the strongest moment, for me, was here, with Vicky Mboko’s victory,” says Valérie Tétreault, director of the National Bank Open, in an interview with La Presse Canadienne in her office on 2^e floor at the IGA Stadium.

However, there were many more highlights on the Canadian tennis scene in 2025.

Félix Auger-Aliassime did more than his share with three titles, two additional finals, a semi-final appearance at the US Open and progression to fifth in the ATP rankings, a personal high.

Had it not been for Mboko’s exploit in Montreal and his meteoric rise to the 333^e place, in January, until the 18th^e level of the world rankings, Auger-Aliassime’s performances would undoubtedly have been the highlight of the year at Tennis Canada.

To this, Mboko added a title to his record, in Hong Kong, in November. Leylah Annie Fernandez (22)^e) won two tournaments, including one in the 500 category. Denis Shapovalov (23^e) imitated her.

Exactly a year ago, Gabriel Diallo occupied 87^e step; it will start 2026 on the 41^e rank, helped by a first career title, in June, on grass.

Tétreault savors this list because, among other things, of the range of names it brings together.

“In other years, we had a player who performed well, and often, it was perhaps a little more difficult for the others. There, we really had the impression that at a given moment, they were all taking turns,” notes Tétreault.

“We had Denis who won [à Los Cabos, le 19 juillet]. Afterwards, it’s Leylah who wins in Washington [le 27 juillet]. We have Vicky winning here [le 7 août] and Felix, [qui excelle] straight after at the US Open. They were different players who were performing at the highest level,” she emphasizes.

To this list, we can add Dabrowski’s doubles titles in Cincinnati, a tournament of the caliber of Montreal, then at the United States Open three weeks later.

“To see this for Canadian tennis, I think that’s what makes me the most proud. I think we don’t realize how new it was not so long ago when Milos Raonic was starting to win ATP 250 titles,” she notes.

When Raonic defeated Fernando Verdasco on February 13, 2011 in the final of the San Jose tournament for the first of his eight career titles, it was the first time a Canadian had triumphed at an ATP singles tournament since Greg Rusedski in April 1995.

In 2014, Eugenie Bouchard’s title in Germany was only the second by a Canadian at a singles tournament in 26 years.

The time of such shortages seems to be over.

Since 2019, in singles alone, Canadian athletes have amassed around twenty titles. Auger-Aliassime has eight, in addition to 12 other appearances in tournament finals.

Despite all her pride, Tétreault is not necessarily surprised. She sees the emergence of players who had already shown great skills at the junior level. She also sees a dynamic there which is similar to a form of emulation.

“Apart from, perhaps, Gabriel Diallo, who we saw less coming, the others, already at a young age, had pretty much all been identified as hopes, not only of Canadian tennis, but hopes of international tennis. I think it was just a matter of time before they could hatch,” emphasizes Tétreault.

“But then, I think that there is still something in there like a kind of training phenomenon, in the sense that seeing a Canadian player experience success, it motivates the others. Then, we suddenly have the impression of being part of a movement,” she says.

Mboko’s unexpected triumph, moreover, was the exclamation point to another successful edition in Montreal, in a context where, for the first time, the main draw extended over 12 days and brought together 96 players in singles.

And what’s more, Mother Nature greatly collaborated.

At the end of the tournament, the organizers welcomed 287,329 spectators, a record, of course, for the women’s event in Montreal.

“As much as there were a lot of unknowns going into this year’s tournament, more than usual, I think we can say mission accomplished because we saw a format that worked well,” said Tétreault.

“My biggest concern was more about the reception of the players, knowing that they were roughly double what we were used to welcoming,” adds Tétreault.

“We wanted to make sure we had the necessary space. The way we reconfigured it, and with the results of the player survey and the feedback we received from the WTA, I think it demonstrated that we had done what we needed to do to be ready for this. »

In addition to revealing Mboko, the National Bank Open offered Eugenie Bouchard the chance to play on the court of her childhood by offering her a pass to the main draw.

Bouchard thanked the organization by delivering two solid performances, even causing a lot of trouble for the Swiss Belinda Bencic, a quality player, in what was the Montrealer’s swan song in professional tennis.