Montreal, October 20, 2023 — Tennis Canada and U SPORTS revealed exciting news for Canadian university tennis on Friday, announcing that tennis has become the first pilot sport (P3) in the program’s history. This fall, this collaboration improves the student-athlete experience by providing tennis players with more opportunities to participate in high-level competition within the Canadian school system.

The decision to integrate tennis into the U SPORTS program stems from a shared vision to provide competitive opportunities and promote positive experiences for all involved in sport. By improving existing university tennis competitions and exploring other possibilities, the association’s goal is that more people will continue to play the sport during and after their university career.

Lisette Johnson-Stapley, U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer

“We are delighted to announce this exciting partnership with Tennis Canada, as it marks the integration of tennis into the new U SPORTS sports model as a pilot sport. This collaboration marks an important step in our commitment to fostering athletic and academic excellence while expanding opportunities for student-athletes across the country. With Tennis Canada and our members, we look forward to serving as a catalyst in the development of the best talent in Canada and promoting the values ​​of excellence and equity within our universities. »

Ryan Borczon, Director of Professional and Canadian Tournaments at Tennis Canada

“Joining U SPORTS as a pilot sport is an important moment for Canadian tennis. This collaboration offers enormous potential for our sport and we are delighted to work with U SPORTS to improve the Canadian University Tennis Championships. This will open new doors for student-athletes and promote the growth of tennis participation at the collegiate level. »

Additional Information

• As a pilot sport, tennis will be part of the partnership sports category of the new U SPORTS sports model. This category includes three subcategories: pilot (P3), invitation (P2) and association sanction (P1). Most partnership sports are funded by the relevant National Sport Organization (NSO) and operated in partnership with U SPORTS.
• During 2024, Tennis Canada will work with U SPORTS to strengthen the reputation of university tennis in hopes of advancing the sport across partnership sports. Once a sport reaches the P1 subcategory, it can move to the Canadian Championships Core Sports category, which includes disciplines like hockey, basketball and football.
• Tennis Canada continues to organize the Canadian University Tennis Championships each year, in collaboration with U SPORTS.