• Top WTA and ATP stars feature in video to highlight the role of tennis parents and caregivers
  •  Series created to educate on the importance of delivering positive tennis experiences and crucial sport safety topics

[TORONTO, ON] August 15, 2024 – Tennis Canada is shining a spotlight on Sport Safety and the role of parents, caregivers, coaches, administrators and athletes in creating a positive environment on and off the court. Funded by a grant from the Canadian Olympic Committee, a series of five videos have launched across the organization’s digital channels.

The first video was released during last week’s National Bank Open presented by Rogers and included appearances from global WTA and ATP superstars, who discussed their parents’ role in their journey to the summit of the sport. Interviewed by juniors from Tennis Canada programs, World No. 6 Jessica Pegula, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur, and Canadians Bianca Andreescu, Olympic bronze medalists Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime, Rebecca Marino, Marina Stakusic, Milos Raonic and Gabriel Diallo all took part. Click here to view the video.

“At Tennis Canada, we are driven by our purpose to champion positive tennis experiences,” said Jennifer Bennett, Director of Sport Safety and Integrity. “We all have a role to play in facilitating an equitable, safe and inclusive tennis environment, free from all forms of maltreatment. That means doing everything we can to create a platform for athletes to enjoy and prosper in the sport at all levels. We are grateful to the Canadian Olympic Committee for awarding us this grant and we are delighted with the content we have produced. We hope it will educate parents, coaches, administrators and players on the importance of their role in keeping our sport safe.”

Tennis BC’s Director of Coaching Education, Jeannie Rohr, comments that, “The power of storytelling is so important in reaching people. Through the lived experience of these iconic players sharing their stories, we are drawn into the human experience and find commonality with our own lives. Each of these videos shines a spotlight on the importance of tennis parents’ and caregivers’ vital roles in creating a positive tennis experience for young players as part of team which includes coaches and administrators.”

“To this day, neither my mom nor my dad has given me a single piece of advice about tennis,” Raonic said in a segment of the video. “We’re able to speak about everything other than tennis, which is what parents are there for.”

The remaining videos are intended to enhance Tennis Canada’s existing and robust Sport Safety initiatives. A message from Eva Havaris, Senior Vice President of Tennis Development and Partnerships, opens the introductory Let’s Rally for Sport Safety video, while the rest are each directed at a particular group in the tennis community: athletes, coaches and officials. Click here to watch.

Additional videos are in development which will expand the series and delve deeper into specific topics relating to Sport Safety.

Tennis Canada is considered a leader in Sport Safety in Canada and demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding through the implementation of comprehensive policies, education, training and compliance standards. The organization utilizes an independent third-party reporting mechanism and is a signatory to the Abuse Free Sport program, Canada’s independent system for preventing and addressing maltreatment in sport.

All tennis coaches in Canada have access to the Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) and, through this association, must adhere to an annual background check, sign the Tennis Canada Code of Conduct and ensure they are up to date on all educational requirements.

About Tennis Canada

Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth, development and promotion of tennis in Canada and a vision to be a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier National Bank Open presented by Rogers WTA and ATP Tour events, four professional ATP and ITF sanctioned events and financially supports four other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our website at: www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

Media Contacts

Oliver Wheeler

Senior Manager, Communications
owheeler@tenniscanada.com

+1 (647) 458-4005

Joanne Hill

Director of Marketing and Communications, Tennis BC

jhill@tennisbc.org

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