There was Leylah Fernandez in the final at the United States Open, and Félix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals of the same tournament. A few months earlier, Denis Shapovalov had made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Fernandez won a WTA tournament and jumped 64 places in the standings to end year 24e. Aliassime (11e) and Shapovalov (14e) knock on the door of the top 10
Truly, the 2021 season for Canadian tennis players has been one to remember.
But it ended a bit like a fishtail.
After his defeat in the final in Stockholm in November, Shapovalov announced that he was withdrawing from the Davis Cup, which was contested a few weeks later. He cited a “lack of motivation”, saying he was mentally tired. Félix Auger-Aliassime followed suit subsequently.
After a “very complicated” season, Bianca Andreescu decided to give up the Australian Open in January 2022, revealing on social networks Monday that she felt “to have the weight of the world on your back. “.
Is it just the blues of the end of a grueling 11 month schedule that explains the fatigue, or is it symptomatic of a bigger problem in top tennis in Canada?
“It’s not easy for athletes,” explained Guillaume Marx, performance manager at Tennis Canada during the organization’s end-of-season report on Tuesday. They may be relatively well paid at what they do, but they are human beings. It is certain that a circuit of 11 months, in the conditions in which it is currently played with all the constraints, that necessarily weighs on the system. ”
“Each case is specific, we must not generalize, he qualifies. When you get to the end of November and you know that on December 20, you have to go back and start your season in Australia again, […] you can accuse the blow morally. This is quite normal. ”
The case of Bianca Andreescu is singularly speaking. Sylvain Bruneau witnessed it.
PHOTO FRANK FRANKLIN II, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bianca Andreescu
After her victory at the United States Open in 2019, the Ontarian “had a pretty serious injury, then there was the pandemic,” said the head of Canadian professional women’s tennis. “It was very complicated for her. ”
“It was not easy being an athlete in Canada with the 14 days of mandatory quarantine, and those she had in Melbourne and Madrid,” he adds. I had COVID, she had COVID. She talked about her grandmother [qui a passé plusieurs semaines aux soins intensifs à combattre la COVID]. She needed to take a step back, and I think she will come back strong. ”
But for Sylvain Bruneau, the fact that the athletes verbalize the issues they experience off the field is “beneficial”.
“You have to appreciate the athletes who mention that they need to take a step back to come back strong, and that’s what she does. I don’t think there is any reason to be alarmed at all. I would even say that she is making a good decision to have a long and fulfilling career. ”
Obviously, this is an issue that bothers the Canadian tennis federation. President and CEO Michael Downey revealed that Tennis Canada’s administrative committee had already scheduled to discuss the matter on Thursday.
“One of our tactics could be to hire someone dedicated to this issue and have them work with our high performance team,” he commented via video conference.
“We want to be in a position where all our players, both professionals and those in transition as our young U12 to U18, have access to resources if they need them. They face a very competitive world. […] We take this very seriously. ”
Leylah, the highlight
Tennis Canada says it does not take lightly the new pressure facing young athletes, especially with the importance of social media over the past decade.
Leylah Fernandez’s successes in particular result in sustained attention that must be managed with “caution”.
“For any young athlete these days, social networks have taken on a new dimension, with the results and what follows from them, expresses Sylvain Bruneau. Everyone has to be careful. Including Leylah, including her opponent in the final in New York, Emma Raducanu. ”
“You have to be well informed, well advised,” he continues.
But the head of Canadian women’s tennis still did not hide his joy to see the course of the young Fernandez at the United States Open.
“It was exceptional,” he says. It took us all a bit by surprise. […] It was a stroke of brilliance. She’s a girl so into her thing, who is so passionate about her sport. ”
“I was very happy for her, adds Bruneau. She benefited from Bianca. Bianca benefited from Eugenie. Leylah is going to benefit a lot of young girls. ”
Eugenie Bouchard on the right track
PHOTO REFUGIO RUIZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Eugenie Bouchard
If a return to the Australian Open in 2022 is not possible for Eugenie Bouchard, Sylvain Bruneau revealed that “the doctors are super happy” with his rehabilitation after his shoulder operation undergone in the spring.
“There is no timeline for his return to the game,” he adds. She has to be very careful with this injury and take it slow. ”
“She can’t wait to get back into the game very soon. ”
Players vaccinated only in Montreal and Toronto?
“There is a good chance that players who come to Montreal and Toronto in August 2022 need to be vaccinated,” said Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada.
“We will prepare for this eventuality,” he added, noting that government rules change regularly at this level. “We will probably not be the only country to have these rules. ”
Downey also mentioned that Tennis Canada managed to generate a “small profit” in 2021 from hosting the National Bank Cup events.
“It allowed us to go from a budget where we thought we would lose $ 5 million in 2021 to finally make a little profit. This is notable, since we ended the 2020 season with a deficit of $ 8 million. ”