McIntyre Tennis

Genie Bouchard Rogers Cup Press Conference

Genie Bouchard met with members of the press at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Saturday to speak about her upcoming 12th appearance playing in Canada's premier tennis tournament. She spoke about working with her new coach Jorge Todero, the rise of Canadian tennis in recent years and also of her upcoming match against compatriot Bianca Andreescu who she will face Tuesday night on Centre Court. Here is the entire transcript from today. Check in with us later this weekend on Match Point Canada - the official Tennis Canada podcast - for our exclusive interview with Genie.

Q: You're working with a new coach these days, can you tell us how that came about and then how it's gone?

Genie: Sylvain (Bruneau) actually helped set up this partnership. It's been a couple of weeks now and I really like him. So it's going well. We're trying to change a couple of things, so it's definitely going to be a process. But I think it's the right process.

Q:  In Canadian tennis right now it's been on the rise for the past couple of years. Where do you put it? Where do you look at it and in terms of the talent that's coming up right now and where do you fit in?

Genie: I think Canadian tennis has improved a lot over the past couple years. And just the general excitement about tennis in the country I think is more - from fans watching on TV to the little kids who start playing -  I've heard so many stories that summer camps are all booked up and hearing things like that makes me so happy. I mean to just be any kind of part of it I think is an honor and hopefully it’ll continue like this for years to come.

Q: What are your expectations for Rogers Cup this year?

Genie: Well I'm going to go with my usual answer and say no expectations. Honestly, it's actually just so great to be here. It’s a little bit of a welcome home every time I come through this tournament whether it's in Montreal or Toronto I just really wanna enjoy it, enjoy the atmosphere. I was out around the grounds earlier today and doing some activities and spending some time with some of the fans just, you know, signing and taking pictures and that's a part of what it's all about,

Q: Are you looking forward to playing Bianca?

Genie: Yeah, I think it's hilarious that we play each other. I'm excited. It's actually gonna be fun. I know her well, we’re Fed Cup teammates, so it's hopefully gonna be a fun battle and I hope people enjoy it.

Q: You said with your new coach that it's going to be a process and you're working to change a few things, what in particular are you looking to change?

Genie: I mean I don't want to get into too many specifics, but just a couple of typical things on my shots,  court positioning and keeping in mind the essence of my game and also just putting in a lot of hours. He's very old school, he's Argentinian. So it's been tough. (said with a chuckle!)

Q: Genie, yesterday we had done Naomi Osaka and Bianca at the draw ceremony and Naomi recently admitted that the pressure she's been feeling in particular since the Aussie Open has been difficult for her to deal with. Bianca now is going to have to experience some of that as well as she's had success as well. For someone like you that's been at it for a little bit longer now and seems to sort of roll with all the punches so to speak, what's your secret or what advice might you have for those players that are starting to deal with it for the first time?

Genie: Well, I mean I haven't won two grand slams, so I don't think I'm in a position to give too much advice, but it’s a part of life, you know, and I think the most important thing is to just remember that it's all because of a good thing – it’s because of amazing results. In the past I let myself feel down or negative if I felt too much pressure, but at the end of the day, it's like I feel pressure because of something amazing that I did. Why should I feel sad about it? So those accomplishments that I’ve had or any of those players that you mentioned have, are there forever. So, you know, just enjoy it.

Q: You tweeted recently that you had a dream about Lady Gaga and that you guys chatted for 45 minutes. Can I ask what you guys talked about?

Genie: Um, I think I was in Dubai playing a tournament -  all my dreams I'm always at a tournament, like always. Even if something else is happening, I'm at a tournament site. Yes - tennis has taken over my life. She called because she had this concert and she was inviting me to this concert and we had hung out before, but I was like in Doha or Dubai and I was like, I don't know if I can make it. And then my mom was like, who are you on the phone with? And I'm like, Lady Gaga, you know - like give me - and you're on the phone and I remember like hanging up and seeing like 45 minutes and I was like, All right, this is a cool world to live in.

Q: Have you met her?

Genie: Uh, nope. But I did go to her concert way back in the day.  I don't know why it was her. I mean maybe I saw her for two seconds on TV and then you know how dreams are.

Q: Genie, you've got a first round opponent who’s coming off a long injury layoff. You've had to deal with that yourself. What's the toughest thing about coming back from an injury and for you does it make you approach the match in any kind of way - get into her early, get a leg up against somebody who maybe be a bit rusty?

Genie:  Injuries are the worst part about our sport. And I think, when I come back, the toughest is that competition aspect. There's nothing like real match practices. It's just nothing like the pressure or the tension of a match. I won't approach the match any differently. I know she's a great player and that's what I'm going to expect. And that's it.

Q:  Yesterday you had a cool visit to Sick Kids hospital. And I think for the kids it meant a lot to them, but it seemed like it meant a lot to you. What did that mean to you and what was the best part of being there and just hanging out with them and talking about Harry Potter and being maybe a kid again a little bit?

Genie:  I love, you know, giving back and I visited the children's hospital in Montreal many times and then other cities when we have tournaments there, so to be able to go I was so happy they had me. And if I could inspire one of them yesterday to stay positive and just keep fighting and all the hard work and sacrifices, it's really special to me. I love seeing the kids, they’re so young and energetic and so just to hang out with them, hear about what's cool to them in their life right now. They asked me about some of my experiences, meeting Drake – all of their faces lit up and they're like, oh my God. We talked about Harry Potter, I got like a wand as a gift from hospital and just kind of feeling like a kid, treating them like normal kids because they are and hopefully inspiring them, but you know, they inspire me more than I would ever inspire them.

Q: I know Montreal is your home, but this is Canada, so this is your home tournament. Do the other players ask you for what to do around Toronto and what do you hear from them about this tournament and how this tournament goes?

Genie: I mean it feels like home coming here too. Um, no one's really asked me what to do. I've been busy training, I haven't chatted that much. But I do have a cousin who lives here, and so I always try to go to some cool restaurants or things like that. I think it's a really cool city and I'm not here enough. I realized all of last year, I never came to Toronto, so I’m looking forward to spending more time there.

Bianca Andreescu Prepares For Rogers Cup Return

By Mike McIntyre

Canada's No. 1 player, Bianca Andreescu, was hard at work at the Aviva Centre in Toronto on Monday preparing for her return to the WTA Tour at the Rogers Cup. Out with a shoulder injury since her opening round victory at the French Open, the 19 year old spent considerable time warming-up without her tennis racquet before going through the usual barrage of tennis drills. Tennis Canada trainer Virginie Tremblay worked on some hand-eye coordination exercises and footwork training with Andreescu before she proceeded to hit with Isade Juneau a regular hitting partner for the Canadian women.

While the power and variety in her game were evident in practice, it was also clear that Andreescu was tiring quickly in the mid-day heat on Centre Court and has not benefited from regular practice and match play these past few months. All reports indicate that her right shoulder is ready to go and she didn't seem to favour it whatsoever in her practice session under the watchful eye of coach Sylvain Bruneau. She now has a week before she is set for her opening round match which is scheduled for the evening session on Tuesday August 6th.

Here are some shots of her practice session today.

Great Things in Store for Canada at the Rogers Cup

By Mike McIntyre

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal captured his fourth Rogers Cup title on Sunday in Toronto and reminded the Next Gen on the ATP World Tour that their time has not quite arrived yet. The Spaniard was - in the words of vanquished 20 year old finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas - a "beast" whose competitive drive and hunger for victory still remains unparalleled among his peers. 

This edition of Canada's Masters 1000 event will be remembered by Nadal's brilliant win but also as one where the young guns made their presence truly felt. Aside from Tsitsipas - who defeated four members of the top ten en-route to the final - there were strong performances by Karen Khachanov, Daniil Medvedev, Canada's Denis Shapovalov  and of course 21 year old Sascha Zverev who as the current World No. 4 has already transcended his Next Gen label to become a force on the professional tour. 

While the Grand Slams are still being dominated by three guys - Nadal along with Roger Federer and a resurgent Novak Djokovic, the kids coming-up the ranks are proving that they are ready to compete for titles at the other tour events and it is only a matter of time before one of them has a breakthrough at a Major. 

Stuck in the middle are those in their mid to late twenties. The Grigor Dimitrov's and Milos Raonic's of the world who, while talented, are at risk of seeing their chances of winning one of tennis' most coveted tournaments disappear. A combination of health issues, inconsistencies and general misfortune of playing in the Era of three of the best players - perhaps THE best players - ever has cost them their quest for Grand Slam triumph so far. 

Crowds in Toronto seemed to be among their all-time highs this year and this is a trend that we should see only continue to blossom as Canada asserts itself in tennis as a nation to keep an eye on at the international level. Aside from the 27 year old Raonic - who still could conceivably have some good years ahead if he can stay healthy, there are two rising talents that will soon be superstars both at home and abroad.

Denis Shapovalov made his presence felt last summer during his surprising semifinal run in Montreal. While he could not repeat that accomplishment this year in Toronto, he looked good in his two opening round victories before falling to Robin Haase in his round of sixteen match. Give the kid some time to mature and develop his entertaining game and he has nowhere to go but up. As if one budding star wasn't enough, tennis fans also had a glimpse of the promise Felix Auger-Aliassime holds. The just-turned 18 year old seemed to be poised for a second round victory against Medvedev but ultimately fell 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7). Nerves got the better of him in the late stages of the third set tiebreak, but he is already the youngest player in the top 200 of the ATP rankings and has a game that is far more developed than it should  be for his age. 

While Raonic had an exciting run to the Rogers Cup finals in 2013 where he lost to - you guessed it - Nadal, his arrival was just foreshadowing the success Tennis Canada is on the cusp of enjoying. With Daniel Nestor set to retire next month at the age of 45 after winning every conceivable accolade in the doubles world, Canada is ready to now see if it has what it takes to experiences that kind of success in singles competition as well. When Nadal, Federer and Djokovic do finally pass the torch, there is no doubt there will be some Canadians lining up to try to have their turn. 

Sascha Zverev Ready To Defend His Rogers Cup Title in Toronto

Interview and Photos By Mike McIntyre

 

No. 2 seed and defending champion at the Rogers Cup Sascha Zverev took some time to speak with me following his 6-4, 6-4 second round win in Toronto on Wednesday. We spoke about the changes in conditions From DC, the oddity of defending a title in a different city and of course his rapport with Yorkshire journalist Jonathan Pinfield.

 

 

Q: Happy with how your first match here in Toronto played out today?

 

A: I mean obviously it’s a big change from playing in Washington when it was much hotter there and more humid. The ball on the courts is different and the courts here are way faster so I had to make some adjustments but I’m happy to get the straight sets win against someone who’s been playing well here.

 

Q: Is it somewhat strange to be the defending champion in a different city than where you won this event last summer? 

 

A: I’ve never won a match in Toronto and here I am the defending champion. It’s strange but it’s still nice because it means that you won a Masters and I’ll do everything I can to defend my title.

 

 

Q: How do you pace yourself through this stretch of hard court events in DC, Toronto, and Cincy in preparation for the US Open?

 

A: I don’t pace myself! I want to win every match I play and that’s never going to change. 

 

Q: Earlier this year you had a nice exchange with a certain reporter from Yorkshire. How did that rapport help you at all in between your matches and what did it mean to you?

 

A: There’s other things that helped me but it was great having some fun. In England I think the Queen of England heard it and a lot of other people, so it was great for the reporter actually. I was happy to have that. I was happy to have this kind of small talk with him after every match, so it was great fun.

 

Felix Auger-Aliassime Announces Himself at the Rogers Cup

By Mike McIntyre

Canadian tennis fans have plenty of reason to get excited after 17 year old Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated World No. 18 Lucas Pouille of France on Centre Court at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Tuesday. The youngster showed no signs of nerves as he won the match 6-3, 6-4 for his first career Masters 1000 level victory. Aside from the four Grand Slams, this is the biggest stage for tennis players on the ATP World Tour and Auger-Aliassime looks like is ready to  have his name added to the NextGen list of young players to keep an eye on moving forward. 

While Canadian doubles legend Daniel Nestor has had enormous success over the years, Canada was never known as a tennis power house. That is beginning to change with the constant threat that Milos Raonic presents along with 19 year old Denis Shapovalov - and now Auger-Aliassime as well. The future with these three is bright indeed and in time should make the nation one to watch at the international level in Davis Cup competition. 

Auger-Aliassime has been working his way up the rankings this year mostly at the Challenger level. He recently completed a stretch that saw him play 15 straight tournaments on clay but made the transition quite smoothly today onto hard courts. His ranking is already 133rd in the world making him the youngest inside the top 200 in the world rankings. 

Regardless of what comes next this week for the talented youngster, he has served notice that he is comfortable playing on this stage. His second round match will be against Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who at 22 years of age is ranked 68th in the world and considered a dangerous opponent. The Russian defeated 13th seed Jack Sock in the opening round, so both he and Auger-Aliassime have achieved higher than their rankings would have initially suggested. A likely third round encounter against No. 2 seed Sascha Zverev would await the winner. 

For now Auger-Aliassime can be more than satisfied with how he handled himself today and how he has instantly added himself to the dangerous mix of players we can boast of. The secret is out folks - Canada is one to watch on the ATP World Tour. 

Rogers Cup Draw Revealed in Toronto

By Mike McIntyre

The Rogers Cup draw took place Friday afternoon at the stylish Bisha Hotel in downtown Toronto. Tournament director Karl Hale introduced special guest and the No. 1 player in the world, Rafael Nadal, who assisted with the action. Nadal was seen craning his neck at several times during the unveiling of the draw as he turned around to see the opening round pairings and potential path he might have towards another Masters 1000 title in Canada. 

The draw itself produced some audible gasps from the assembled audience of media and VIP's such as when Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios were chosen to face one another in the first round. A sense of disappointment was evident when Canadian Milos Raonic drew 10th seeded David Goffin. Another can't-miss match has Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic facing the man who eliminated him earlier this year at the Australian Open, Hyeon Chung. 

Aside from Raonic, Canadians in the opening round include last year's surprise semifinalist Denis Shapovalov who will play Jeremy Chardy of France. Seventeen year old Felix Auger-Aliassime drew Lucas Pouille who is also a Frenchman. Vasek Pospisil will face young Croatian talent Borna Coric while Peter Polansky gets Australia's Matthew Ebden.

More Canadians will hopefully be joining them after the qualifying draw unfolds this weekend with Filip Peliwo, Frank Dancevic and Brayden Schnur among others in action. 

Once the draw was complete, Nadal took a quick Q&A from the press. Asked about which Canadian victory stands-out for him over the years, he replied, "I know I am in Toronto but...the 2013 victory, that SF match against Novak (in Montreal) had been so special for me. To have the chance to win again on hard courts after a very tough 2012 with a lot of problems on the knees, that victory meant a lot to me." 

He continued, "Of course....2008, the victory gave me the chance to become the World No.1, that in some way - I don't like to use the word "deserve" because in sport I believe that you don't deserve, you either do it or you don't do it - but in some way I felt that I had been for almost three years playing so well, very consistent, but being always during that time No. 2 after Roger. That was something great, but at the same time Novak was arriving. So that moment was the moment to make a step forward...so that victory was decisive for that."

My favourite moment of the chat with Nadal was when MC Ken Crosina asked him if he lives by the cliche of "one match at a time" or does he ever catch himself looking ahead in the draw. Nadal was not afraid to tell the truth and reveal that even he cannot help but sneak a peak at who he could potentially face. 

"I am not this kind of guy that says I don't like to watch the draw...I am very normal, no? I like to see the full draw. I cannot think about Wawrinka, Kyrgios before I am playing Benoit Paire or a qualifier, I know the first round is going to be a tough battle, but watching the full draw is not going to distract me on being focused on that first one. I like to see the confrontations, in the first round. There are a couple of ones that are very, very interesting in my opinion, and that's it. I take always by match, that's what I've done all my life, that's the only way in my opinion to have success...you have to respect all the days, all the opponents, tennis changes so quickly so you have to be ready to accept both things - victories and losses." 

Nadal will play his first match Wednesday evening and we'll then find out which of the above options the No. 1 will accept as  he attempts to win his fourth Rogers Cup title. 

Check back with us throughout the week for photos and analysis of what's happening around the grounds of the Aviva Centre in Toronto. We are also on Twitter and will be posting regularly there as well. 

For now, here are a few more pictures from today's proceedings at the draw ceremony for you to enjoy. 

Nadal getting a good look at the trophy he hopes to raise in nine days. 

Television questions from Nick Dixon at CP24 and Arash Madani from Rogers Sportsnet. 

Rafa exchanging a laugh with ATP Supervisor and former Chair Umpire Lars Graf

 

Rogers Cup Draws Take Place Today in Montreal and Toronto

By Mike McIntyre

The draws for the Rogers Cup take place Friday for the men's and women's fields in Toronto and Montreal respectively. 

In Montreal the draw is to be held at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel at 6:30pm. Simona Halep is the No. 1 seed this year and made the semifinals a year ago in Toronto. Her previous best finish at the Rogers Cup was in 2016 when she won in Montreal over Madison Keys in the final. 

The men's draw will take place in Toronto downtown at Bisha with World No. 1 Rafael Nadal assisting with the draw ceremony. Nadal will play the Rogers Cup for a 12th time and is an impressive 35-3 in 2018 on the ATP World Tour. Nadal has won the event three times, in 2005 against Andre Agassi, 2008 against Nicolas Kiefer and more recently in 2013 against Canada's own Milos Raonic. 

Here is a shot of Nadal with tournament director Karl Hale at the draw ceremony from 2010 when it was conducted from atop the CN Tower in Toronto. 

Andy Murray Wins Opener at Citi Open in Washington

By Mike McIntyre

Andy Murray  defeated 80th ranked Mackenzie McDonald of the United States on Monday in DC at the Citi Open in his first hard court match since March of 2017

The former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champ is trying to work his way up from 832nd in the ATP rankings following a lengthy layoff that was prolonged due to an elected hip surgery earlier this year.

Making his return to action last month on grass, Murray lost in his opening round match against Nick Kyrgios by a close score of 2-6, 7-6, 7-5. He then played in Eastbourne - again on grass - where he won his first round encounter against Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-3 before falling to countryman Kyle Edmund for the first time in his career 6-4, 6-4.

The 31 year old Murray wisely elected to skip Wimbledon as he did not know how his hip would react to a best-of-five format so soon into his comeback.

In his match against McDonald on Monday, Murray lost the opening set but battled back after a rain-delayed day to prevail 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a battle that lasted over two-and-a-half hours. Murray sealed the victory on his seventh match point opportunity. The win sets-up a re-match against Edmund in the second round.

"I enjoyed getting through that one," Murray revealed after the win. "You could see it in the celebration. That was a tough match. It could have gone either way. It was nice to win it."

It doesn't appear that Murray is being troubled by the hip which is more important at this stage of his return than the wins or losses. Already with the first round victory he will see his ranking shoot-up into the 600s on Monday.

Next up for Murray after DC will be the Rogers Cup in Toronto. Murray has won there in 2010 as well as when the event was hosted in Montreal in both 2009 and 2015. Check back with us here at ProTennisFan for daily coverage from the Canadian Masters 1000 as we will have writers and photographers there throughout the event. You can also follow us on Twitter for timely updates and analysis.

Carol Zhao is Canada’s New No. 1

 

By Mike McIntyre

The No. 1 ranking in Canadian women’s tennis traded hands again recently with 23 year old Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill assuming the top spot on June 11^th. The idea that Zhao could reach the top of her country’s rankings would not have even been considered a year ago. Then ranked 408^th in the WTA rankings, Zhao had just recently committed to turning pro and was only starting to learn the ins and outs of life on the road. When I congratulated her on the achievement a week before it became official, her reaction revealed that the accomplishment was still sinking in.

“Oh, thanks – I mean, (laughter) it’s ah, it’s I guess the first time someone’s said that to me!”

After taking a moment to put her new ranking into context, Zhao elaborated about what this moment means to her and how it fits-in with her overall goals as a professional tennis player.

“Quite honestly it’s not something that I’ve spent so much time thinking about. It’s not one of the main goals – to become the No. 1. Obviously it’s a nice title and it’s an honor to be able to represent Canada that way but I would say my goals have been more on personal development and seeing progress for myself and wherever that happens to put me in terms of the Canadian ranking, is not something I can really control, you know what I mean? So I’m just taking it as a bonus and hopefully I’ll be able to represent well going forward.”

Photo by Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

If tennis fans here in Canada are surprised to see Zhao’s quick ascension, don’t worry, she can relate as well. “Twelve months ago that would have been a very far, far fetched thing for me. I think I was maybe around 400-500 just coming out of college. So you can see it’s not something I have thought about a whole lot. But it’s definitely a nice thing to have happened.”

Making the decision to take a hiatus from her education at Stanford in order to pursue her chances full-time on the WTA was a big decision for Zhao but one that is clearly working out well for her so far as she just recently hit her career-high ranking of 131^st on the WTA. I asked her about the motivation for initially going the College route and she revealed that it was more about personal exploration than anything to do with tennis. She fully intends to go back and complete her final year of her degree in science technology and society.

“I mean looking back obviously I have no regrets,” Zhao explained.  “It was probably the best years of my life, the greatest experience. For me, it was very much like a personal decision not so much a tennis based decision. I really wanted that experience, I wanted to expose myself to a new environment when I was 18, 19, 20 and learn a lot of new things and see the world in a different way and all that kind of stuff. I think in turn that’s helped me with my tennis and my level maturity and all that understanding of what I do. I’m definitely glad that I chose that route.”

Photo by Mike McIntyre

The transition has been substantial from playing on the College circuit but Zhao seems to be adjusting just fine. She equates life on the pro tour to running your own business, complete with its own set of risks and rewards.

“It’s tough to manage it all but it’s part of the job. Managing your career, I kind of look at it as managing your own enterprise, as if I was doing a start-up or something. You are your own company and you’re trying to make the right investments, make the right decisions and take the right risks so that you get a good payoff.” 

The payoffs for Zhao began late during the summer of 2017. In mid-August she made the semi-finals of the $100,000 ITF event in Vancouver taking out former Canadian No. 1 Aleksandra Wozniak, Yanina Wickmayer and Ons Jabeur in the process. She then made the finals of a smaller ITF event in Tsukuba, Japan before taking things one step further and winning a similar-sized tournament on the other side of the country in Nanao. Zhao then returned to Canada where she played .500 level tennis in five events on home soil. She then made the decision to continue her season into November by returning to Asia and rediscovered her success there by winning the $100,000 event in Shenzhen, China. That saw her add 140 ranking points and jump from 221 to 150^th in the world.

Zhao attributes the sudden surge to finding her groove on the road and also starting to develop an increased sense of confidence in her abilities on the court as a full time tennis player.

“I think overall just a lot more awareness of myself as a tennis player because it was quite new to me, becoming a pro full time and developing a sense of my identity on the court and working with the right people, I think that brought out a lot of the potential that I had last year. Also just really believing that you belong. I think once you have a couple of good results that are indicative of what you can do it’s really promising and at a certain point you start to believe that you belong at a higher level. I think that’s what happened with me.”

Photo by Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

For Canadian tennis fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their new No. 1, Zhao will undoubtedly be featured later this summer in Montreal at the Rogers Cup. A main draw wildcard should be a given this time around thanks for her solid movements up the rankings. Zhao is definitely a very proud Canadian and seems to be the glue of the female Tennis Canada contingent. She has a positive relationship with many of her Canadian peers. A few examples include pairing-up with Gaby Dabrowski to win gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games, playing doubles with the younger Charlotte Robillard-Millette last summer in Toronto and most recently where she was seen catching a Taylor Swift concert with fellow Canuck Genie Bouchard in London. I asked her about her bond with her fellow Canadian pros and Zhao downplayed her role as a unifying factor amongst the group despite the fact that she is obviously a team player.

“It’s not something that I guess i intentionally do but I think the camaraderie is getting a lot better and we’re all great friends. The team atmosphere is great. Actually a lot of my closest personal friends on tour are from the Canadian women’s side. I guess we’re lucky to have that bond and with a lot of these girls I’ve also grown up with them and we’ve known each other for so many years that it’s definitely like a deeper relationship, so it’s cool.”

Speaking of Tennis Canada, after the comments that previous Canadian No. 1 Françoise Abanda had made last month about how race factored into her treatment as a tennis player, I had to ask Zhao if she had ever felt anything similar growing up. She didn’t hesitate to address the question head-on.

“I’m a first generation Chinese Canadian living and growing up in Canada. It’ something that I lived with growing up and in the tennis world I feel like your accomplishments kind of speak for themselves more than in some other fields. It’s never really bothered me that much or maybe it’s just because of what I identify as already and I’m comfortable with what I identify as. That being said, I think my message is just that I don’t think that any lack of fanfare has been intrinsically motivated by my race or my identity.”

She continued by stating that, “I’m comfortable enough in my identity to not feel the need for external validation because of my race…so I’m just really trying to become the best tennis player I can be and the best representative of my country, myself, my family and that’s really the most important thing for me.”

While most athletes probably look forward to ending an interview as quickly as possible, Zhao interjected as I was about to end our call to clarify how she felt about becoming Canada’s new No. 1. She added that, “I just wanted to clarify if I wasn’t like super clear before on the No. 1 thing, I’m obviously happy and I’m excited and honored to be in this position. The overwhelming thing I guess I feel now is to just try to continue producing results that are deserving of that position. So that’s really my focus.”

Whether she is able to hold onto the position throughout the rest of 2018 or not, it definitely appears that Zhao has the right outlook on her priorities. Her message on the merits of hard work and earning your accomplishments is also one that make her an ideal No. 1 player and role model for young Canadian tennis fans.

Françoise Abanda is Canada's New No. 1

By Mike McIntyre

Canada has a new No. 1 female tennis player in Françoise Abanda. The 21 year old supplants a fellow Montrealer in Genie Bouchard who had previously held the position since 2013. Abanda's ranking currently sits at No. 128 on the WTA Tour, which is 17 spots below her career-high that she established back in the Fall of 2017. 

The fact that Genie Bouchard has lost her lengthy hold on the top position in the Canadian rankings should come as no surprise after her compounding struggles on the court. Abanda's name has been in the mix in recent months as someone we expected might take over the No. 1 position yet she is not nearly as well known to casual tennis fans in Canada.

The young talent is now into her fifth year of playing main draw WTA events and has seen her ranking fluctuate within the top-200 in the world since September of 2016. Her career win-loss record stands at the moment at a modest 139-103 but she has shown signs of having the potential to break into the top 100 with some encouraging wins and gutsy performances over the years. 

Last summer Abanda took French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko to the brink of defeat at Wimbledon before falling by a score of 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the second round. It would have marked Abanda's first time making the final 32 of a Grand Slam event.

At the international level, Abanda's best result for Tennis Canada came in 2017 when she defeated the 51st ranked Yaroslava Shvedova and 31st ranked Yulia Putintseva to help her country maintain a position in the World Group II section of the Fed Cup.

2018 has been an up and down season so far for the young Canadian as she failed to qualify for the first major of the year in Australia before hovering at the .500 level on American hardcourts through until the end of February. In March Abanda could not find her way into the main draw of either Indian Wells or Miami and then encountered a couple of more hiccups before making the quarterfinals of an ITF event in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. Abanda was slated to open Canada's Fed Cup tie in singles against Ukraine last month in her home town of Montreal but had a freak accident during warm-up where she tumbled and suffered a neck injury and had to withdraw and watch from the sidelines as her country advanced in the upset.

There still remains plenty of time for Abanda to achieve similar success on the WTA Tour as she did during her junior career. At the peak moment of her junior days Abanda reached a high of No. 4 in the rankings and made the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2012 in both junior singles and doubles. She also made the singles semi at the junior French Open in 2014 proving her comfort level on clay as well.

Growing up admiring the Williams sisters, Abanda seems like she could be a marketing dream for tennis in Canada. She projects a down-to-earth personality off the court and a fiercely competitive one on it. Her Instagram account also reveals someone who has interests in fashion and is comfortable in front of a camera but not at a distracting level from her day job.

Hopefully Abanda will receive the same level of support and promotion from Tennis Canada as they put behind Genie Bouchard for many years while she was Canada's top female player. Though Abanda takes a more quiet approach on social media, she does have a semi-active Twitter account and proudly tweeted on Monday about her new ranking achievement in Canada. Canadian tennis fans will undoubtedly be proudly following their new No. 1 as she continues to push forward in her developing professional tennis career.