Rob Shaw has been one of the most consistent winners for Canada in the professional tennis landscape for a decade and he continued to rake in the trophies last week in Japan.  Since winning his first ITF title in 2014, the Canadian has won at least two titles every non-COVID-restricted year, scoring his second win of the season last week.  Here’s what you need to know.  Under the Radar: Shaw’s Super Result in Japan  Just four months into the season and Rob Shaw has already made it three years in a row with multiple titles on the ITF Tour.  Last week, he and partner Hea ..read more

19-year-old Canadian tennis player Marina Stakusic returns to Match Point Canada this week! She discusses building upon her pro career, adapting to the top levels of the game, how winning Billie Jean King Cup last fall helped her confidence, and what types of goals she’s setting for 2024. Meantime, the clay court swing is well underway. Ben and Mike recap another title from red-hot Danielle Collins in Charleston, preview the first Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo and run down their top five clay court players on both the men’s and women’s side. Listen to the podcast on your favourite platforms: S ..read more

Grigor Dimitrov seems to have found the fountain of youth. Or a really great elixir to add to his electrolytes. He’s currently in the middle of an astonishing resurgence that’s propelled him 24 spots in the rankings over the past 11 months. And he’s back in the Top 10 for the first time in 10 years. Since October, he’s tussled in a Masters 1000 semi and final, added the Brisbane ATP 250 title to his collection and followed it up with a final berth at the Miami Open. He’s 20-25 in 2024. As the clay court season rolls around, can he keep the momentum going and close ..read more

On the heels of his win over Luca Nardi in the opening round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, Félix Auger-Aliassime fell to Lorenzo Sonego (6-4, 7-5) in a two-hour two-setter. Félix was originally slated to go head-to-head against Carlos Alcaraz in a rematch of their recent showdown in Indian Wells, but plans changed when the Spaniard was forced to withdraw due to an arm injury. Just as the draw seemed to be opening up for the Canadian, lucky loser Sonego—a talented clay court specialist—was thrown in the mix. In the tight first set, Auger-Aliassime easily won his first two service games at love bu ..read more

While young Canadian tennis stars have been centre stage across major cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary at the Fischer Junior Nationals events, several young players have been leaving their mark on the ITF circuit across the globe. Meanwhile, a cohort of boys and girls’ competitors are preparing to compete for Canada in team competitions and at the Junior Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. Let’s break down some of the latest ITF success from Canadian juniors. Genereux wins ITF singles crown In singles competition last week, it was 15-year-old Canadian Antoine Genereux continuing his ..read more

There were quite a few Canadians in action all around the world last week, with most of them kicking off their clay court season. A new surface means time to adapt, and it turns out that the most adaptable of them all was Alexis Galarneau, who fought his way into to the final of the Mexico City Challenger.   After some time away to rehab a wrist injury and with so few points to defend over the next few weeks, he’ll be focused on capitalizing on his upcoming tournaments to move up in the rankings. Will clay treat him well?  Here’s a quick look at last week’s highlights. IN CASE YOU MI ..read more

While it was fiery American stars like Ben Shelton and Danielle Collins winning titles on the professional circuit, young Canadian juniors were making names for themselves at the Fischer Indoor Junior Nationals this past week in Toronto and Vancouver. The Under 18 and Under 14 Boys and Girls divisions wrapped up action from the two metropolitan host cities this past weekend. Let’s look back at the results of the action: U18 In a competitive Girls field, Gabriella Vannessa Lindgren of British Columbia, who was unseeded heading into the event, broke through for a championship run, toppling thre ..read more

Felix Auger-Aliassime is off to a winning start on the clay. The 23-year-old Canadian displayed a composed and physical brand of tennis on the red dirt, overwhelming qualifier Luca Nardi 6-2, 6-3 in 82 minutes to advance to the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters. In front of a full crowd on Court Rainier III in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, the former world no. 6 delivered a prompt reminder of the level of tennis he can produce when healthy and confident. Read more: Clay Court Transition Extra Prominent on 2024 Calendar After five consecutive exchanges of service holds to begin the match ..read more

So far in 2024, the young guns have dominated the ATP Tour ahead the clay season. Three big titles have been claimed, divided amongst two of the tour’s best young stars. But that was all on hard courts. The next few months will be all about clay, which has the potential to shake up the tour.  This week, the NBO Power Rankings panel dives into how the world’s best stand on the dirt.  (Brackets indicate change in position since the last edition of the Power Rankings from before Indian Wells.) 1. Carlos Alcaraz (+4) Actual Ranking: 3  2024 Record: 15-4  No ..read more

The ITF Masters tour hands out more trophies than any other tour and so far a few have ended up in Canadian hands, including a whole bunch at home in Calgary.  March was also a particularly strong month, as the Canadians struck gold at the ITF World Championships.  Let’s catch up with Canada’s most experienced tennis players competing on the ITF Masters Tour.  MT Calgary  Calgary played host to the first ITF Masters event of the year on Canadian soil at the Yonex Calgary ITF Masters Championship from Feb. 16 to 19.  There were fifteen draws being contested at the event ..read more