The National Bank Tennis Open will undergo several major transformations starting in 2025, notably becoming the only professional tennis tournament in the world to end in the middle of the week.
This decision, which may raise eyebrows, is part of the redefinition of the tournament starting next year, and fits with the introduction of an expanded calendar and a larger draw, announced Tennis Canada by way of communicated Wednesday morning.
The document specifies in particular that the 12-day format will be used only during non-Olympic years, with the competition returning to the seven-day model when the Olympics take place. Thus, the women’s and men’s finals will be held on Thursday August 7, 2025, under the reflectors.
“The summer calendar is very condensed. When we decided to have even bigger draws for the tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati, well we only had a three-week window to present these two tournaments. Therein lies the particularity,” first explained the director of the Omnium Banque Nationale, Valérie Tétreault.
“The Cincinnati tournament will therefore start on the same day as our final. I think yes, it will cause a reaction — we will be the only tournament in the world [à se terminer le jeudi]we will be unique —, but I think we did a good job with the schedule,” she added.
The tournaments, which will again be presented simultaneously in Montreal and Toronto next year, will now bring together 96 athletes in the main singles draws which will extend over 12 days, three years out of four.
To this must be added the main doubles draws, which will also increase from 28 to 32 teams. The National Bank Open will thus join a group of six extended mixed tournaments on the WTA and ATP circuits, which brings them closer to the format of Grand Slam tournaments.
An additional logistical challenge, agreed Tétreault.
“It will potentially require more training grounds, especially at the start of the tournament,” admitted Tétreault. We are currently studying several scenarios, including that of establishing a satellite training site. […] In an ideal world, this site would be located in Montreal, in order to limit the travel time of players, therefore near the site, or even their hotel. »
“The bar is getting higher and higher”
Holding a tournament over 12 days rather than seven will obviously result in additional financial benefits, particularly for the tournament itself.
On this subject, Tétreault did not hide the fact that his organization was currently studying the possibility of retaining a portion of this increase in revenue in order to upgrade the facilities of the National Bank Open. Several stakeholders in the world of tennis have been asking for years for a retractable roof to be installed on the IGA stadium.
“To ensure that we consolidate Montreal’s place among the Masters 1000 tournaments, it is a fact that the bar is getting higher and higher. And when we compare ourselves, we see that there are significant investments elsewhere – the Cincinnati tournament recently announced an investment of US$260 million over two years in their facilities – and that we will have to follow the parade . It’s a fact, we know that we are going to have to invest in our facilities. In the next 15 or 20 years, yes, standards are set to change. »
Combine this with persistent rumors that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — which already sponsors the ATP world rankings, and funds many other sports — is eyeing a mixed 1000 Series tournament. In a few years, then, is Tétreault concerned about the future of the National Bank Open?
“In the short term, there is no fear of losing our tournament. On the other hand, you shouldn’t bury your head in the sand. We need to be aware of what is happening on the political side, and start putting forward an action plan to ensure that our tournament remains on par with the other Masters 1000,” she summarized. .
“One of our strengths is our goodwill; it is extremely valuable in the eyes of the circuit and the players. But that’s not enough to guarantee Montreal’s place [au calendrier] over a horizon of several decades,” concluded Tétreault.
This year, the men’s section, which has existed for 142 years now, will be played from August 3 to 12 at the IGA stadium in Montreal. The National Bank Open is the third oldest tennis tournament, after Wimbledon and the United States Open.