Fans flock to Uniprix Stadium to watch Rogers Cup tennis stars on Family Day

It rained for a bit, but that brief spell of wet weather wasn’t enough to stop tennis fans like Derek Jory from turning out in droves for Family Day at Uniprix Stadium.

“Nope. We were coming rain or shine. “Rain was probably better because it kept more people away.”

It was the second day of the Rogers Cup Canadian Open tennis championship weekend, and fans were eager, as always, not just to take in the various on-site activities. They also wanted to catch a glimpse of their favourite players and to root for them in tournament play.

Gurprit Sansoa came with her father, and she says attending the tournament is an annual outing for them. “I wanna see Nadal, my dad is here for Federer,” she said. “We’re here for the qualifications but we’ll come back towards the end.”

One Canadian favourite is 18-year-old phenom Denis Shapovalov, who says he’s excited to be playing in Canada.

“For me, it’s good to be back here — first time in Montreal, second time playing in the Rogers Cup main draw. For me, there’s no nerves. I’m playing good tennis right now, so I’m very confident in my game,” he said.

That confidence probably comes from aspects of his game he’s been working on in the last few months.

“I’ve been working on the mental side of the court, on and off the court. “On court, just staying calm and channelling my emotions, my thoughts during the match. Obviously, off court being more professional — stretching, eating correctly, taking care of the body and all that.”

Shapovalov took part in his first grand slam main draw at Wimbledon this year. He was awarded a wild card entry earlier this summer and is expected to do well. This year, he is one of five Canadian players in the Rogers Cup wild cards in Montreal.

Fans have come from far and wide to see the big stars, but it’s certain they’ll be grateful if the young, up-and-coming Canadian does well.