The start of the $100,000 National Bank Challenger is less than six weeks away: the men’s and women’s professional tournament will be held July 8-16 at Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club.
Coming to Winnipeg will be 16-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 2016 US Open junior boys’ singles champion. Auger-Aliassime played in the National Bank Challenger last summer, narrowly losing 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(8) to eventual finalist Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia on Stadium Court.
Last year’s singles champions at the National Bank Challenger were Japan’s Go Soeda (ranked No. 149 in the world at the time) and Ohio’s Francesca Di Lorenzo.
Two players ranked in the world’s top ten have competed in Winnipeg: Johanna Konta of Great Britain and Alexander Zverez of Germany. World No. 8 Konta, a semifinalist at the 2016 Australian Open, won the inaugural $25,000 CIBC Wood Gundy Women’s Challenger at WLTC in 2013. World No. 10 Zverez, who recently beat Novak Djokovic to win the Masters 1000 event in Rome, played in the 2013 Manshield Futures at Sargent Park Tennis Garden.
Ticket prices for the National Bank Challenger are $5 for a day pass and $25 for a week pass (free admission for July 8 and 9 qualifying rounds).
Volunteers are needed for the event in the areas of court services, player services, drivers and scorekeepers. Please contact Nicole at nicole@polartennis.com.