TORONTO, October 25, 2022 (Tennis Canada Press Release)

Canadians Eugenie Bouchard and Vasek Pospisil will headline the Calgary National Bank Challenger player field, which was announced on Monday, when the tournament gets underway November 6-13 at the OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre. Next month’s competition is the first since the Challenger became a combined women and men’s professional event.

Former World No. 5 Bouchard returned to action earlier this year after recovering from a shoulder injury. In 2014, the Quebecer reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and French Open and was a finalist at Wimbledon – becoming the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam singles final. She is also a regular for Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup team having played in ten ties for her country.

“I’m looking forward to playing at the Calgary National Bank Challenger,” Bouchard said. “I always enjoy playing at home in front of my Canadian tennis fans. I heard a lot of great things about the Calgary event, and I am looking forward to having a strong finish to my year.”

In addition to Bouchard, the Calgary tournament’s inaugural women’s event will see former World No. 12 Sabine Lisicki of Germany compete, as well as Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund (No. 133), Great Britain’s Jodie Anna Burrage (No. 138), Lucrezia Stefanini (No. 143) of Italy and the Czech Republic’s Sara Bejlek (No. 196). Fellow Canadian Katherine Sebov will also take part in the event with several other Canucks set to be added via qualifying.

On the men’s side, Vasek Pospisil will return to the Calgary National Bank Challenger. The Canadian, currently ranked No. 123 on the ATP Tour, reached a career-high No. 25 in January 2014. A three-time ATP finalist – Washington in 2014 and Sofia and Montpellier in 2020 – Pospisil recently played in the final of the Challenger Mouilleron-le-Captif in France and the quarter-finals of the Tel Aviv Open, where he lost to 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Also a regular for Team Canada presented by Sobeys,

Pospisil has been selected for 26 Davis Cup ties in his career, and has just been named to Captain Frank Dancevic’s team for the 2022 Finals in Malaga, Spain. Joining Pospisil in the men’s draw are Ecuador’s Emilio Gomez (No. 107). Argentina’s Juan Pablo Ficovich (No. 148), Aleksander Vukic (No. 145) and Germany’s Dominik Koepfer (No. 174) from the ATP Tour’s Top 200. Fans will also be able to follow the fortunes of rising Canadian stars Alexis Galarneau (No. 225) and Gabriel Diallo (No. 250), both of whom will be joining Pospisil at the Davis Cup Finals in Spain next month. Last week, it was announced that former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori has withdrawn from the event due to an injury setback.

“We are very excited to have world class talent like Eugenie Bouchard, Vasek Pospisil and Sabine Lisicki, as well as emerging talent like Canada’s Gabriel Diallo, Czech Republic’s Sara Bejlek and France’s Harold Mayot, playing in this year’s event”, said Danny Da Costa, Tournament Director for the Calgary National Bank Challenger. “This is a once in a life-time opportunity to see some of the best up-and-coming and established stars right here in Calgary.”

To view the Full Entry List for the Calgary National Bank Challenger Men’s & Women’s Event click here.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit: www.calgary.nationalbankchallenger.com.