Most of the world’s best male tennis players are competing in Montreal this week at the National Bank Open.
The weeklong tournament has attracted 15 of the top 20, including Canada’s world number one and Montreal native Félix Auger-Aliassime.
The event is a fan favourite as it gives them a chance to see players up close and get coveted autographs and selfies.
“Can’t believe that you can be this close to them. You would think you wouldn’t be able to get this kind of access. It’s crazy,” Claire Ferguson, a tennis fan from Halifax, told Global News.
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The weeklong event is one of the major stops on the ATP tour, with the champion taking home more than US$1 million in prize money.
The schedule this year pushed the tournament’s date by one day due to the Olympics in Paris.
The Summer Games forced gold medallist Novak Djokovic and Olympic finalist Carlos Alcaraz to withdraw.
But the lack of the two top players isn’t dampening the spirits of fans or organizers because the field remains very competitive.
“I’m really looking forward to a super competitive week and it’s a great opportunity for somebody, other than world number one Jannik Sinner, but a great opportunity for somebody to pick off a really, really big title,” Stephanie Myles, a tennis analyst and producer of Opencourt.ca, told Global News.
Organizers are hoping to set a new attendance record for a one-week event hosting only male players.
“We’re tracking well. And so if the weather can contribute all week we’re in good shape to beat our record again this year,” Valérie Tétreault, the tournament director, told Global News.
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