MONTREAL, October 6, 2024 (Tennis Canada Press Release)
The player list for the Calgary National Bank Challenger was unveiled this week in Calgary, Alberta. The tournament features an ITF World Tennis Tour W75+H event and an ATP Challenger 75 event, making it the largest men’s and women’s professional indoor tennis tournament in Canada. It will be held at the OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre from October 13 to 20, 2024.
“There’s no better way to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Calgary National Bank Challenger than to announce a line-up filled with talented and exciting players,” said Ryan Borczon, Tennis Canada’s Director of Professional Events. “Since the first edition of the tournament, the team in Calgary has done a remarkable job of attracting top international and Canadian players, and we look forward to getting things underway in just a few weeks.”
On the women’s side, Tatjana Maria of Germany leads the way as the tournament top seed. The world No. 85 and former Wimbledon semi-finalist is still in search of her first title in 2024, having already reached three finals this season. Canada’s Rebecca Marino, ranked 133rd in the world, will take part in the Calgary tournament for the first time and will be seeded No. 2. The 33-year-old Vancouverite is in great form, having won two ITF W100 events this year, the biggest titles of her career. Marino’s compatriots
Stacey Fung (No. 270) and Carson Branstine (No. 275) will also be in the main draw. Fung won a title last month at the W35 in Santarem, Portugal, while Branstine has captured three ITF titles already this season.
Headlining the men’s draw as the No.1 seed is American J.J. Wolf. Ranked as high as 39th in the world in 2023 following a fourth-round appearance at the Australian Open, Wolf is hoping to end his season on the right foot and return into the Top 150. Another former Top 50 player, Australian Bernard Tomic (No. 17 in 2016), will be competing in the main draw as the fifth seed. Canadian fans will have the opportunity to cheer on home-grown talent, as Alexis Galarneau, ranked 255th in the world, and Liam Draxl, No. 258 and the tournament’s defending champion, are set to take to the courts in Calgary. Main draw wild cards were also given to Justin Boulais, who won the 2023 Edmonton National Bank Challenger, and Nicolas Arseneault, Canada’s top ranked junior boys’ player.
Canadians Victoria Mboko, Kayla Cross, Cadence Brace, Isabelle Boulais, as well as Dan Martin, Taha Baadi, Benjamin George, and Alvin Tudorica will take part in the qualifying rounds and battle it out for a place in their respective main draws.
For a complete entry list for the Calgary National Bank Challenger, click here.