Together, we can level the playing field for women and girls

Tennis has the power to inspire and transform lives. Through our commitment, we’re breaking barriers, boldly celebrate the positive change that tennis has brought in the lives of women and girls, on and off the court. With your support, we can ensure even more victories as we drive equity in coaching, leadership, and competition.

Find out about our early progress to learn how, with the support of National Bank, we’re paving the way for more women and girls to enjoy the benefits of the sport and grow in their tennis journey.

More Women Leading the Game

Women coaches are thriving — active, certified women coaches have grown from 18% in 2023 to 25%.

Investing in Community Tennis

31 organizations across 9 provinces and 1 territory received funding through community tennis grants, empowering local programs.

Unprecedented Growth in Support

Grant applications surged by 209% over 2023, showing increased engagement and need for community support.

Confidence on the Rise

100% of girls in the Girls Leadership Program reported a boost in confidence.

Professional Growth for Officials

100% of officials gained essential skills through women-only clinics, enhancing their officiating expertise.

Coaches Advancing Their Careers

9 out of 10 coaches appreciated professional development opportunities, helping them progress in their careers.

Fun, Friendship, and Inclusion

9 out of 10 girls who attended Girls. Set. Match. events had fun, made new friends, and enjoyed a welcoming environment — eager to return.

Growth of the UNMATCHED Conference

Welcomed 575 guests for its third edition in 2024 to hear from keynote speaker Venus Williams and other inspiring champions of equity.

Read the impact report

The UNMATCHED Conference

The UNMATCHED Conference presented by Tennis Canada and National Bank provides a space for established and emerging leaders of all genders, from within, and outside of sport to be challenged and inspired to make equity a priority and action long-term change within their communities.

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Find the right Game. Set. Equity. initiative for you

To create sustainable change for women and girls in all areas of Canadian tennis, Tennis Canada’s Game. Set. Equity. commitment includes several different opportunities to access resources, programming, and professional development.

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Start Your Tennis Journey

Girls. Set. Match.

Girls Leadership Program

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Women in Leadership

Community Tennis Grants

Community Tennis Grants offer funding opportunities for organizations working at the community level to advance equity for self-identifying women and girls in tennis.

Get Support for Your Initiative

Women & Girls in tennis — Inspiring stories

For many women and girls, tennis has played a major role and contributed towards victories in their personal and professional lives.

Each of these triumphs is a step towards equity and we are rallying the tennis community to ensure more victories are possible through the advancement of our women and girls programming.

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Game. Set. Equity.

Tennis Canada and National Bank Launch Campaign for Gender Equality Week 2024

September 23, 2024

Game. Set. Equity.
UNMATCHED Conference

Sharon Arnold honoured with Tennis Canada's Prix Jacqueline L. Boutet Award at the UNMATCHED: Gender Equity in Sports Conference

August 21, 2024

Game. Set. Equity.
UNMATCHED Conference

Champions of Equity Take Centre Stage at UNMATCHED Conference

August 20, 2024

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Make a difference for generations to come

Whether you’re a regular player, an avid fan, or new to the sport, you can play a role in advocating for equal opportunities and resources for women and girls in tennis.

Tennis Canada partnered with National Bank on our Game. Set. Equity. strategy beginning in 2023. This ambitious and holistic strategy details how Tennis Canada will advance equity for women and girls at all levels of the tennis ecosystem in Canada, from the playground to the pro tours.

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This commitment marked the beginning of a new era for Canadian tennis – the first time in Tennis Canada’s history that our sport has a long-term road map for creating sustainable change for women and girls in all areas of tennis, from grassroots, to coaching, leadership, and beyond.

“Inclusion and diversity are at the heart of our corporate values. Our partnership with Tennis Canada is long term and allows us to implement actions that have a positive impact towards a more inclusive society. This commitment is the beginning of something big! To allow more women and girls to enjoy the benefits of the sport. To grow in their tennis journey. And to get the exposure and recognition they deserve. We believe in setting clear goals and working with those involved to help achieve them. It’s such a great privilege to be one of the ambassadors, to be involved in this evolution, and to actively contribute to the commitment towards gender equity in tennis,” says Lucie Blanchet, Executive Vice-President, Personal Banking and Client Experience at National Bank of Canada.

The Game. Set. Equity. strategy will be delivered over a 5 years through 5 key pillars that align with the ITF’s Advantage All strategy. The pillars are complementary; achievement in one area drives critical momentum for broad scale achievement across all areas.

By 2027, Tennis Canada aims to:

IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR PROVINCIAL AND TERRITORIAL TENNIS ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER INDUSTRY PARTNERS, WE WILL INVEST IN BESPOKE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE PROVEN TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN WOMEN AND GIRLS AS PARTICIPANTS AND LEADERS IN TENNIS.

Ensure that 50% of our Under-12 program participants are girls
Increase the number of self-identifying girl and women registered competitors at Tennis Canada events to 40%
Develop 500 certified women instructors
Collaborate with 100 community partners across Canada delivering tennis programs for girls
Establish a youth leadership council to guide the development and implementation of retention initiatives for girls in tennis
Increase the number of active women and girl certified coaches and officials in Canada to 40%

WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH ALL GENDERS AT TENNIS CANADA ON CREATING AND PROMOTING SAFE AND INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES FOR WOMEN TO THRIVE WHILE MAINTAINING EDUCATION EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD. THIS IS ABOUT TRAINING AND EDUCATION AND ALIGNS WITH SPORT SAFETY AND OUR EDI WORK.

By 2027, Tennis Canada aims to:

Ensure that 100 % of Tennis Canada’s board members, employees and volunteers are safe sport certified and provide ongoing education in unconscious bias and gender equity
Have 100% of Tennis Canada’s Board of directors, staff and volunteers trained and using the Game.Set.Equity guidelines within the daily work environment

ACHIEVING AND SUSTAINING GENDER PARITY IN LEADERSHIP ROLES, BOTH ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND THE BUSINESS OF TENNIS IN CANADA.

By 2027, Tennis Canada aims to:

Achieve and retain a minimum of 40% women members on the Tennis Canada board, Senior Management Team, and general management teams across the organization
Increase the number of women national event tournament directors to 50%
Increase the number of active women coaches and officials to 40%
Collaborate with Provincial Tennis Associations (PTAs), Tennis Development Centres (TDCs), and community partners to advance gender equity within the broader tennis community
Grow the number of certified women/man officials to 40%

STRIVING TO BE BEST-IN-CLASS BY ADVANCING COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT WOMEN IN TENNIS.

By 2027, Tennis Canada aims to:

Offer equal prize money to both women and men players at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers beginning in 2027. On the pathway to equal prize money, the expansion to a 12-day model will see an increase in prize money for women’s players from 2025 onwards.
Offer equal prize money at Challenger events for both women and men
Increase overall attendance for the WTA edition of the National Bank Open in Montreal and Toronto to be on par with the ATP Tour edition

LEADING BY EXAMPLE AND ACHIEVING WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ PARITY OF VOICE ON OUR OWNED CHANNELS AND PROPERTIES, AND IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR MEDIA/BROADCAST PARTNERS.

By 2027, Tennis Canada aims to:

Ensure Tennis Canada produced creative content includes a minimum of 50% self-identified women and girls
Ensure that the women’s edition of the National Bank Open receives equal domestic broadcast coverage as the men’s tournament
Collaborate with broadcast partners to reach 50% representation of women as on-air talent

Let’s Rally for Equity

There are multiple ways to become a champion of equity within the Canadian tennis community. Every gesture counts, so let us inspire you to take action for change.