MONTREAL – In past years, the women haven’t drawn quite the crowd the men have at the Rogers Cup. But with recent successes from local players, like Westmount’s own Genie Bouchard, it seems this summer might be different.
On day one of the tournament, crowds of people flocked to the Uniprix Stadium to catch world class athletes on the courts.
Some of the best tennis players from around the globe will be competing for a chance to be the next Rogers Cup champion.
“We’re expecting the Williams sisters probably for the first time in a long time,” says Louis-Philippe Dorais, communications and marketing director for .
“For now they’re still in Stanford so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”
The local girls are drawing the crowds as well.
“I think the fans are looking forward to seeing Genie, Aleksandra Wozniak and Françoise Abanda , our Canadian players, so it will be a wild week at the Roger’s Cup,” adds Dorais.
READ MORE: Eugenie Bouchard seeded 6th at Rogers Cup; Milos Raonic 7th
Tennis lovers can catch practices and qualification games all weekend, with the main draw happening on Monday.
Everyone is excited for the week ahead, and fans are already making predictions on who might become the tournament’s next champion.
The tournament wouldn’t be possible without the help of over 1,000 volunteers. A huge tennis fan, Sam Massih has been volunteering at the event for the past seven years.
He says the job definitely has its perks. “When we’re not working we get to watch the games for free.”
The tournament attracts more than just a local audience. Khouaja Karim came all the way from Tunisia to watch the world class event.
“I’m very excited to be here in Canada and to see a very high level of tennis,” he says.
Bouchard will be practicing twice on Saturday, and it’s free access to the public all weekend long.
Comments