Celebrating 20 Years of Sobeys Stadium – 10 Milestones over the Years

1. Opening Night: Andre Agassi vs. Tommy Haas 

On July 26th, 2004, Andre Agassi and Tommy Haas stepped on the courts to faceoff for the first opening night match at Sobeys Stadium, packed with over ten thousand fans eager to experience the stadium for the first time. The evening saw many firsts all leading up to Agassi clinching the opening night win at the new Canadian stadium. Agassi bested Haas 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after a slight 23-minute rain delay. 

2. First NBO Champion: Roger Federer 

On August 1, 2004, Roger Federer outlasted Andy Roddick in the first final on Centre Court. The score was 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match which resulted in Federer’s first Canadian title. This exciting match drew massive crowds as the Sobeys Stadium welcomed 165,508 fans onto its grounds over the week-long tournament. En route to Toronto, Federer had already claimed a title at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2004. 

3. First Canadian NBO Champion in 50 years 

In 2019, Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian to win the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in 50 years since Faye Urban’s victory in 1969. The 19-year-old was leading Williams 3-1 in the first set before the American retired with an injury. Andreescu and the Canadian crowd cheered Williams on during an emotional speech as she accepted her runner-up trophy. The first-ever matchup between the two was highly anticipated and filled Sobeys Stadium to capacity, later erupting in cheers to celebrate their hometown champion.  

4. The Pan American Games land in Toronto 

In 2015, Sobeys Stadium, hosted the tennis event of the Pan American Games. Running from July 10-26, the tournament saw more than one success on the Canadian front, including a gold medal for Gabriela Dabrowski and Carol Zhao in women’s doubles and a silver for Dabrowski and Philip Bester in mixed doubles. The Pan Am Games were a great opportunity to highlight the world-class facility at Sobeys Stadium and draw attention to the strength of Canadian tennis on a larger scale. 

5. Serving Up Sustainability at Sobeys Stadium 

Over the years, Tennis Canada has made significant strides to make Sobeys Stadium greener by introducing sustainability initiatives that minimize the stadium’s carbon footprint. For example, detailed analysis and tracking of waste and utilities began in 2016 before a formalized Tennis Canada sustainability plan was developed and launched in 2021. Since then, an internal sustainability committee has been established. In 2023, Tennis Canada partnered with Laykold to resurface Centre Court with recycled tennis balls. Meanwhile, Tennis Canada has offset player travel to the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto since 2022. 

6. Recognizing our frontline workers at the 2021 NBO

On the evening of Monday, August 9 in 2021, Tennis Canada hosted 300 frontline workers at the National Bank Open after a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was especially poignant for the tournament to be able to host these workers given the uncertainties the pandemic brought about. In 2020, Tennis Canada lost $60M of revenue, largely due to the cancellation of the NBO in Toronto and Montreal. While adhering to government safety guidelines, Tennis Canada was able to host 51,160 fans at Sobeys Stadium over the course of the week-long tournament in 2021, bringing in a small net revenue despite predicting another $5M loss.  As a special thank you to the tournament’s special guests, the ATP Tour’s top players showed their appreciation to the frontline workers in a video shown on the big screen at Centre Court. Click here to watch the video.

7. Davis Cup ties at Sobeys Stadium 

Sobeys Stadium has hosted Davis Cup ties in 2005, 2009, and 2010. Team Canada had their biggest success at the stadium in 2010, overpowering the Dominican Republic 5-0 on Grandstand  in the Americas Zone Group I second round play-off. Since then, Team Canada presented by Sobeys won their first-ever Davis Cup in 2022 over Australia in Malaga, Spain, soon mirrored by the women’s team clinching their first Billie Jean King Cup the following year. 

8. Concert Takeover Live from Sobeys Stadium 

Since 2005, Sobeys Stadium has hosted several big-name artists, including Lionel Richie, Brad Paisley, K’naan, Eric Church, and many more. In 2011, the organizers of the BlackCreek Summer Music Festival prepared the stadium for a star-studded lineup. In 2024, The Feldman Agency produced the Live at the Bowl summer music series which included performances from artists like Barenaked Ladies and Shaggy.  

9. Sobeys Stadium hosts the 2017 NAIG Opening Ceremonies 

On July 16, 2017, Sobeys Stadium hosted over 5,000 athletes and 2,000 volunteers from across the continent for the opening ceremonies of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). The event featured world-renowned performers, fireworks, and a parade that filled the stadium. The opening ceremonies kicked off the eight-day competition in venues across Ontario and welcomed Indigenous communities from around the continent for a night of celebration before the competition began the following day. 

10. The 2023 NBO breaks attendance record 

The 2023 National Bank Open presented by Rogers saw record attendance numbers as over 175,000 fans joined us at Sobeys Stadium to welcome the stars of the ATP Tour. Around the grounds, the fan experience was better than ever, with a new and improved food courtyard, virtual reality tennis, live music, and much more to keep attendees engaged between matches. Fans witnessed Jannik Sinner clinching the first ATP 1000 Masters title of his career on Centre Court on finals Sunday.