Tickets for the next National Bank Open tennis tournament in Montreal are selling out quickly, says new director Valérie Tétreault, pointing out that sales are already slightly higher than four years ago.
The special thing is that the men were in action in Montreal in 2019, which was a record year in the metropolis with 223,016 spectators. A new mark (237,158 amateurs) was established last year.
This summer, however, it’s the women. And we have seen it in Roland-Garros in recent weeks, where several games have been played in front of very empty stands: currently, the WTA generally does not enjoy the same popularity at the counters as the ATP.
Kind of like a big three
Except on Canadian soil, of course. But in the past, the attraction wasn’t that pronounced. The attendance record for a “women’s” year in Montreal was set in 2014. At that time, 181,996 spectators passed through the turnstiles.
Valérie Tétreault, who was appointed to succeed Eugène Lapierre last autumn, is clearly pleased with this enthusiasm.
Valérie Tétreault with Eugène Lapierre at the press conference announcing her appointment last October. Archive photo
While she believes there is still work to be done for the public to know about the best players in the world, she also believes that the success of the WTA Top 3 – Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina – this year is gratifying is no stranger to what happens at the counters.
Iga Swiatek, the dominant world No. 1, won the title in Roland-Garros last Saturday. We see her here with the trophy in front of the Eiffel Tower. Photo: AFP
“We’re coming to a constant that hasn’t existed in women’s tennis in recent years,” she notes. That’s where the big headliners go far in the tournaments and that makes for something really interesting.
Already fewer tickets
For some of the most popular sessions, such as on Friday evening when the quarter-finals are presented, or on the Sunday of the final, tickets will now be “more limited”.
Ms. Tétreault is not yet announcing the list of participating players. The latter can register for the qualifiers up to four weeks before the tournament, which starts on August 5th.
But she already emphasizes that the answer is good. “My most valuable selling point [auprès des athlètes]”It’s the audience that is more present than at other tournaments around the world,” she continues.