The Winnipeg National Bank Challenger is finally here! After a two year hiatus, professional tennis has returned to the Manitoba capital. The event runs July 24-31 at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club.
In 2019, the tournament nearly crowned its first Canadian singles champion on the men’s side, as Brayden Schnur finished runner-up to Norbert Gombos of Slovakia. Looking to be the first Canuck to raise the winners trophy at this year’s tournament will be former-world No. 25 Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, British Columbia) and rising star Alexis Galarneau (Laval, Quebec). Pospisil and Galarneau might also be joined by compatriot and 2022 ATP Cup champion Steven Diez, who is currently sitting at the seventh position on the list of alternates.
Apart from the Canadians, players highlighting the tournament’s entry list are Liam Broady of Great Britain (No. 133), Americans Mitchell Krueger (No. 135) and Michael Mmoh (No. 162), and the promising youngster, Rinky Hijikata (No. 217). Broady, who is the highest-ranked player in the field, is fresh off a third-round finish at Wimbledon – the best Grand Slam result of his career.
Tickets are available at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club for $15/day and $20/day during finals weekend.
