MONTREAL, February 4, 2021 (Tennis Canada Press Release)
The presenting sponsor since 2005 in Montreal and since 2010 in Toronto, National Bank becomes the title sponsor of the two most important tennis tournaments in Canada. Starting in 2021, the third oldest tennis tournament after Wimbledon and the US Open, will be called National Bank Open presented by Rogers. This 10-year corporate partnership becomes the single-longest in the history of tennis in Canada and will be instrumental in contributing to the development of tennis at all levels.
“Tennis Canada and National Bank have been working together for several years already and we are delighted to be able to grow this partnership over the next 10 years. The values of our two organizations complement each other and we have a mutual desire to inspire a nation through sport,” said Eugène Lapierre, Managing Director of the Montreal tournament. “We share a vision of what we want for this tournament, which already benefits from an excellent reputation, both for the ATP and WTA players as well as for our clients.”
“I am very proud and enthusiastic that we are continuing our journey with our long-term partner, Tennis Canada. We invest in this sport to allow athletes, kids and adults, from all sorts of backgrounds, to excel and achieve their goals and dreams. This partnership will enable us to have a positive impact on their development,” said Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank. “We are all very much looking forward to attending a match together.”
“Over the next few months and years, Tennis Canada and National Bank will work together to develop new strategies to continue to improve the experience for our ticketholders and our fans who follow this tournament year after year,” added Gavin Ziv, Managing Director of the Toronto tournament. “This partnership allows both organizations to share a wealth of knowledge and demonstrates our common desire to innovate at all levels.”
A new chapter begins. 📖
Rogers Cup is now the National Bank Open. pic.twitter.com/iY0KxZNnT0— National Bank Open (@NBOtoronto) February 2, 2021
National Bank increases its support for the development of tennis in Canada with significant investment in flagship programs
Thanks to this historic partnership, National Bank is once again demonstrating its continued support for the development of tennis in Canada. It is committed to investing in numerous flagship development programs, including the development of women’s tennis and Challenger events as well as supporting our provincial tennis associations and the Tennis Professionals Association (TPA), to name a few. The Bank is also very invested in youth tennis, particularly with the National Bank Little Aces talent recruitment and development program.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to have National Bank on board as the new title partner of our tournaments, this will be a game-changing partnership,” stated Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada. “National Bank will also tailor a loan to allow us to rebuild our investment in tennis development and in our tournaments. I remember back in August, Louis Vachon, the President and CEO of National Bank, said to me ‘we have your back’ in what was a difficult year in 2020 for Tennis Canada due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. At a critical time for our organization, this multi-level partnership is watershed news for us, our tournaments and more broadly and more importantly for tennis in Canada.”
Rogers Communications becomes presenting partner of tournaments and accelerates contributions to growing tennis participation through grassroots initiatives
Rogers’ instrumental support in growing and developing tennis across Canada over the last 20 years continues as presenting sponsor of the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto for the next seven years. Sportsnet, Canada’s #1 sports media brand, will continue as the domestic English-language broadcast carrier, during a time when it is more important than ever to be able to rely on quality broadcasting for the presentation and delivery of sporting events.
“Rogers has helped shape tennis in Canada for well over a generation and I’m thrilled we get to continue working together to expand the game through a number of grassroots and development programs so even more Canadians can fall in love with the game,” stated Michael Downey. “Tennis Canada would like to thank Rogers for everything they have done for our events and tennis in Canada in the last 20 years. Their invaluable contributions have helped to build our world-class tournaments and we’re so pleased the company will continue its great work as presenting sponsor.”
“Rogers and Tennis Canada have accomplished so much in the last 20 years to grow the sport at the highest level across Canada,” said Simone Lumsden, Chief Marketing Officer at Rogers Communications. “Today, we are proud to be renewing our partnership with Tennis Canada to focus our efforts on our shared objective of growing and developing tennis from coast to coast to coast. Rogers is committed to supporting tennis at all levels starting with our presenting sponsorship of these premier international tournaments, our grassroots initiatives with Rogers Community Tennis and Rogers Rookie Tour programs – and stay tuned for details about an exciting new initiative coming soon.”
