[TORONTO, ON] June 24, 2025 – Tennis Canada today announced the list of players who will compete in the 2025 edition of the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger. The $100,000 event will take place from July 6 to 13 at the National Bank Tennis MB Hub at West St. Paul. The tournament has been part of the ATP Challenger Tour since 2016 and has featured some of the best players in the world, including 2025 BNP Paribas Open champion and world No. 4 Jack Draper of Great Britain.
“We are looking forward to kicking off the 2025 National Bank Challenger series in Winnipeg, with what is shaping up to be an extraordinary week of tennis,” said Ryan Borczon, Senior Director of Professional and National Events at Tennis Canada. “Fans will not only get to watch Canadians in action, but also some of the rising stars from the men’s circuit. Just two years ago, Jack Draper came to Winnipeg before becoming one of the biggest names on the ATP Tour. It goes to show just how much talent there is in these Challenger events, and we can’t wait to see what unfolds in 2025.”
Four players inside the Top 200 will be in the Manitoba capital, including Belgian youngster Alexander Blockx, who is ranked 144th in the world. In 2023, Blockx won the Australian Open Junior Championships and has since captured four titles on the professional circuit. Earlier this season, the 20-year-old won the ATP Challenger event in Oeiras, Portugal, defeating Canadian Liam Draxl in the championship match. Draxl, the Newmarket native, will be looking for revenge in Winnipeg, as he enters the event as the second seed and world No. 150. Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro (No. 188) and Denmark’s August Holmgren (No. 195), both 27, round out the Top 200 players.
Former world No. 25 Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, British Columbia, has received a wild card into the qualifiers and will play on Sunday, July 6, in the hope of securing a spot in the main draw. Earlier this season, the 35-year-old announced that the Davis Cup Qualifiers in Montreal would be the final tie of his Davis Cup career. Pospisil, the 2022 Davis Cup champion, finishes his Davis Cup career with the second most wins of any Canadian, behind none other than Daniel Nestor.
Click here to view the full list of players scheduled to participate in the 2025 Winnipeg Challenger. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.tenniscanada.com/national-bankchallengers/winnipeg.
ROAD TO THE NBO WILD CARD IS UP FOR GRABS
In February, it was announced that Tennis Canada would award a singles main-draw wild card to the National Bank Open presented by Rogers to the Canadian man and woman who accumulated the most points in the professional events held in Canada. The Winnipeg Challenger will hold even more importance, as the events held in July are worth double the points. On the men’s side, Draxl leads the way with 72 points, but can be overtaken by any of the Canadian players should they have a good run in Winnipeg.
The other Canadians set to play at the National Bank Tennis MB Hub at West St. Paul are Juan Carlos Aguilar and Alvin Nicholas Tudorica – both competing in the qualifying draw.
To view the current standings and to follow the Road to the NBO, click here.
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth, development and promotion of tennis in Canada and a vision to be a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier National Bank Open presented by Rogers WTA and ATP Tour events, it financially supports 15 other professional tournaments in Canada, as well as operating more than 60 events nationally across junior, wheelchair, university and Masters tennis categories. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and masters tennis national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our website at: www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
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Media Contacts
Tennis Canada
Patrick Steski
Advisor, Communications
psteski@tenniscanada.com
+1 (613) 818-6237
Winnipeg National Bank Challenger
Nicole Ungurian
nicole@polartennis.com
+1 (204) 292-8151