Over the years, Canada has made it evident that they encourage more people to immigrate to their country. One of their main selling points for this idea is the benefits that one can get once they immigrate to Canada. The new generation of young Canadian tennis players is proof of that.
Here are some of the famous young tennis stars who have enjoyed the benefits of immigrating to Canada:
Leylah Fernandez
In 2021, Leylah Fernandez made herself known to the world after winning as a runner-up at the 2021 US Open. Although she did not win the tournament, she achieved the remarkable feat of defeating 3 of the top 5 players, including Naomi Osaka, the defending champion, on her way to the finals.
Fernandez was born in Montreal to an Ecuadorian father and a Filipino Canadian mother. According to her dad, he is thankful to have immigrated to Canada, because he was able to access opportunities that he wouldn’t otherwise. Because of this, he was able to pass on those opportunities to his daughter, who could achieve amazing feats.
Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu was born on June 16, 2000, to Nicu and Maria Andresscu, immigrants from Romania. She was born in Ontario, but she and her family later moved back to Romania when she was 6 because her mother decided to start a business in their home country. They returned to Canada after 2 years.
Bianca started playing tennis in Romania, where she was coached by Gabriel Hristache, an acquaintance of her father. She then trained at the Ontario Racquet Club after they returned to Canada before she went to the U14 National Training Center in Toronto.
Felix Auger Aliassime
Felix Auger Aliassime is currently the second-youngest player that has ranked in the Association of Tennis Professionals’ top 20. His career-high rank is currently #9 for men’s singles.
Felix’s dad was originally from Togo, while his mom was of French-Canadian descent. He started playing at the age of 4, and he was a member of the Academie de Tennis Herriset-Bordeleau. He then became part of the Tenis Canada’s National Training Center in Montreal.
Denis Shapovalov
Denis Shapovalov was the Association of Tennis Professionals #10 for men’s singles in September 2020. He was a spot behind Aliassime. He also Won won an ATP Tour singles title and made his best Grand Slam performance at the 2021 Wimbledon.
But, before winning all those feats, Denis’s humble origins started in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he was born. His mother, a tennis coach, got a job at Richmond Hill Country Club after immigrating to Canada. This is also where he first started playing tennis.
Final Words
From Fernandez to Shapovalov, one of the most common denominators among these talented tennis stars is that their parents chose to move to Canada. By doing so, they were able to enjoy the opportunity to easily access world-class training, allowing them to be the players they are today.
