Tennis Canada – Seven players in the Top 50 will compete for a place in the main draw in Montreal
 
Montreal, July 17, 2018 – While some of the biggest tennis stars have already confirmed their presence in Montreal for the 2018 edition of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, the qualifying matches also promise to feature some high quality tennis during the IGA Family Weekend. Tennis Canada announced Tuesday that seven of the Top 50 players in the world will compete in the qualifying draw on August 4 and 5 at IGA Stadium. Furthermore, fans will be able to access the site for free throughout the opening weekend (August 3 to 5). This is a unique opportunity to get closer to the best players in the world.

Among the players who are sure to draw attention is Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, currently ranked no. 24 in the world and a former member of the Top 10. She is expected to be the favourite in the qualifying draw. The Italian Camila Giorgi will be another player to keep an eye on, as she recently reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon, notably defeating Anastasija Sevastova and Ekaterina Makarova before eventually falling at the hands of Serena Williams in three sets. Thanks to her performance, Giorgi climbed up the rankings to the no. 35 spot this week, which is only five away from her career high ranking of no. 30 (2015). Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 2015 Rogers Cup champion, Australian Samantha Stosur, 2011 US Open champion, Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, 2015 Roland-Garros finalist, and Puerto Rican Monica Puig, gold medalist at the Rio Olympics, will also be taking part. The qualifying draw will be completed by wild cards, which will be announced at a later date. Click here to view the complete list of players set to compete in qualifying.

Several off-court activities will be taking place in addition to the entertainment being offered by the players. The tournament site will feature a variety of restaurants, shops, games, activities and promotions designed to create a festive atmosphere and provide fans with a memorable experience.

Owned and operated by Tennis Canada, the prestigious Rogers Cup presented by National Bank attracts the biggest stars in tennis year after year. In 2018, the men’s event will take place at the Aviva Centre in Toronto from August 4 to 12, while the women’s event will take place at IGA Stadium in Montreal from August 3 to 12. For tickets and additional information, please visit rogerscup.com or couperogers.com.  Sportsnet is the official English broadcaster and TVA Sports is the official French broadcaster of the 2018 Rogers Cup.
 
About Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 126th anniversary of the women’s event from August 3-12, 2018 at IGA Stadium in Montreal and its 138th anniversary of the men’s event from August 4-12, 2018 at Aviva Centre in Toronto. As a WTA Premier 5 tournament, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, and US Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the US Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.
 
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, 9 professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports 13 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 

           
Media Contacts
 
Valerie Tetreault, Manager, Communications
vtetreault@tenniscanada.com or 514-273-1515 ext. 6259
        
Victoria Jaklin, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
vjaklin@tenniscanada.com or 514-273-1515 ext. 6291