Photo: Martin Sidorjak
Team Canada’s historic 2023 Billie Jean King Cup victory is set to be celebrated in style during the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (NBO) in Toronto and Montreal this August. On-court ceremonies will be held in both cities, while fans will have the opportunity see the trophy up close at dedicated on-site activations.
In Toronto, Leylah Annie Fernandez (Laval, QC), Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa, ON), Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC), Eugenie Bouchard (Montreal, QC), Marina Stakusic (Toronto, ON) and captain Heidi El Tabakh (Toronto, ON) will receive their Billie Jean King Cup championship rings, designed and crafted by Baron, in front of a packed Sobeys Stadium crowd before the first match of the night session on Tuesday, August 6 as part of Opening Night presented by Sobeys. The ceremony will encapsulate perfectly the NBO WTA campaign which states It’s not the best of women’s tennis. It’s the best of tennis. Period. and is set to inspire women and girls across the country.
Joining Canada’s world champions on-court will be a group of past and present Canadian Billie Jean King Cup players, who were presented with personalized world champions pins earlier this year. The support staff who accompanied the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup team on their journey to the title will be in attendance. They, along with Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON) and Katherine Sebov (Toronto, ON), who were part of Team Canada for last April’s Qualifier tie in Vancouver, will also receive a championship ring.
Fans are encouraged to wear red during Tuesday’s August 6’s night session to show their Canadian pride. The on-court ceremony is set to begin at 6:40 p.m. Eastern so attendees should plan to be in their seats by 6:30 p.m.. That night, Toronto’s most recognizable landmark, the CN Tower, will also be lit red to acknowledge the celebration.
“As was the case last year when we celebrated Canada’s maiden Davis Cup title at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, we could not be prouder to honour our first-ever Billie Jean King Cup champions at Sobeys Stadium this year,” said Karl Hale, Tournament Director, NBO Toronto. “This incredible victory deserves to be acknowledged in the most special way possible, and what better platform than the opening night of Canada’s biggest and most prestigious tournament. We cannot wait to celebrate the achievements of Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca, Eugenie, Marina and Heidi.”
From Sunday, August 4 to Monday, August 5, the trophy will be on display in Sobeys Stadium’s VIP Lounge presented by Audi, which is accessible for all fans during 407 ETR Family Weekend. It will then be at the UNMATCHED: Gender Equity in Sports Conference, headlined by keynote speaker Venus Williams, on Wednesday, August 7.
Following its stay in Toronto, the trophy will head to the National Bank Open in Montreal where, on Saturday, August 10, it will be at the Tennis Canada Fan Zone on-site at IGA Stadium. Then, on Sunday, August 11, a similar ceremony will be hosted on-court featuring a group of past Billie Jean King Cup players from Quebec, including Aleksandra Wozniak, Françoise Abanda, Marie-Ève Pelletier, Hélène Pelletier and former captain Sylvain Bruneau.
“Although the National Bank Open in Montreal is hosting the ATP event this year, we are very excited to offer our fans the chance to celebrate this historic win,” said Valerie Tetreault, Tournament Director, NBO Montreal. “The Billie Jean King Cup title might have been won on-court by our stellar team, but there was a whole nation cheering on that team and therefore, we want to make sure that as many tennis fans as possible have a chance to see the trophy. We are also looking forward to an evening of reunion on Sunday night as we will welcome on-court all former BJK Cup players and captain from Quebec, to recognize that they helped pave the way to this incredible achievement.”
MORE THAN 100,000 CANADIANS TO HAVE SEEN THE BILLIE JEAN KING CUP TROPHY BY CHAMPIONS TOUR’S CONLCUSION
After launching the Champions Tour in April, the Billie Jean King Cup trophy has travelled over 15,000 kilometres and visited all ten Canadian provinces. Hosted at tennis clubs, sponsor sites, municipal offices and public spaces across the country, the Tour’s purpose of advancing gender equity in tennis has been achieved by offering engaging and meaningful activities at many of the stops. That has included panel discussions with past, present and future Team Canada athletes, and Girls. Set. Match. events, designed specifically for young girls, delivered in partnership with Canada’s Provincial and Territorial Tennis Associations (PTTAs).
At the conclusion of the National Bank Open events, over 100,000 Canadians will have had the opportunity to see the trophy over the course of the Tour.
“We are delighted to have taken the iconic Billie Jean King Cup trophy from coast-to-coast-to-coast in Canada,” said Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer, Tennis Canada. “Aligning so closely with our Game. Set. Equity. commitment in partnership with National Bank, the Champions Tour will no doubt have inspired the next generation of women and girls to pick up a racquet and sparked an interest in tennis for countless more. It has been our pleasure to provide the opportunity to celebrate our players and allow our fans to share in the celebration of the historic 2023 Billie Jean King Cup victory.”
The full details of the Billie Jean King Cup Champions Tour stops are available on the Tennis Canada website.
