Canada’s greatest tennis players and their achievements

In the world of sports, we often talk about the games that have international success. Soccer, for example, is watched by three billion people worldwide, and counting. Cricket, a game that is not so big in Canada, enjoys a following exceeding two billion fans. Basketball is, of course, another sport that has dominated the world.

Of the numerous sports that we could discuss, tennis is quite fascinating. It is not as popular as the three we mentioned above, but nonetheless it has a global fan following. There are very few countries in which tennis is not popular. Canada is no exception.

Tennis in Canada

In the Great White North, tennis is largely governed by Tennis Canada. The organization is responsible for organizing events in tandem with any provincial associations that may be around. Tennis Canada also oversees the two Canadian tennis teams, the Canada Fed Cup team (women’s tennis) and the Canada Davis Cup team (men’s team).

As for the sport’s popularity, Canadians seem to have a pretty big passion for the sport. The Canadian Open held in Ontario and Quebec is one of the most notable tennis tournaments in the world. Played on outdoor hard courts, it is an exciting event that brings in fans from all over the world. More importantly, it also brings in bettors.

With online casinos on the rise, it is no surprise that there are more bettors now than ever. After all, the websites that have the highest payout rate of all casinos usually tend to also double as sportsbooks. In a way, you get the best of both worlds. You can gamble and place bets, so there is something at these websites for everyone.

Canada has also produced some of the finest players in tennis. In fact, that is what we would like to focus on in this article. Who are Canada’s greatest tennis player? What are their achievements? How successful are/were they? Our goal is to answer these questions.

Milos Raonic

Milos Raonic is a Montenegrin-Canadian player who frequently is described as one of the best players around. Like another tennis superstar, Raonic was born in the now-defunct country of Yugoslavia. His home country is Montenegro, however he has a Canadian citizenship and currently resides in Monte-Carlo.

When compared to his contemporaries, Raonic gets frequent praise for his fabulous serve. Many believe he has the best serve out of any currently active tennis player, and some would even say he has one of the best serves of all time.

The Association of Tennis Professionals has ranked him as high as No. 3, making Raonic the highest-ranking Canadian tennis professional of all time. He is the first Canadian in the Open Era to have reached the French Open quarterfinals, the Australian semifinals, and the Wimbledon final. He currently has eight ATP Tour finals, and one could easily say he is among the best Canadian players of all time.

Bianca Andreescu

Born in Mississauga, the Ontarian professional tennis player is one of the most accomplished athletes in tennis to come out of Canada. Her highest ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association was No. 4, making her the highest-ranking female tennis player from Canada.

Andreescu began playing tennis when she was quite young in her parent’s country home in Romania. Even at a young age she already had some success in the competitive world. In the junior competitions, she won the Orange Bowl and other notable singles and doubles titles, so her track was set from an early age.

Andreescu is the first Canadian to win a major singles title, and also the first to win the Canadian Open in a half-century. She is also the first teenager to win a major singles title since Maria Sharpova’s incredible feat in 2006.

However, there is no denying that her biggest accomplishment came in 2019–when she defeated Serena Williams at both the U.S. Open and Canadian Open, becoming the champion of both. Williams is, of course, one of the most respected tennis players in the world–so this achievement is quite momentous for Andreescu’s career.

Leylah Fernandez

The youngest player on our list, Fernandez seems to be–in the eyes of many–a representation of tennis to come, at least in Canada. Her rise to fame is quite recent, with her greatest achievement occurring in 2023. She played a huge role in winning The Billie Jean King Cup last year. That was Canada’s first ever victory at the tournament, and most agree that Fernandez’ contribution was instrumental.

But Fernandez’s star did not just start to shine. When she was only 19 years old she came in second at the 2021 U.S. Open, losing to Emma Raducanu in the final. On the way to the final, Fernandez defeated no less than three top-five players, including Naomi Osaka, the defending champion at the time.

Fernandez’s highest ranking on the WTA Tour is No. 13 in singles and 17th in doubles, which is quite impressive. She is certainly one of the highest-ranking tennis players to come out of Canada and almost certainly has a bright future ahead of her.

Contributions to Canadian tennis

We have looked at three of the best tennis players currently active that come from Canada. But many might ask why their popularity is relevant. After all, are they not just athletes, Well, the truth is that the success of athletes plays quite a pivotal role in society today.

These three have done a significant job to influence and inspire younger minds to take up a tennis racket. Some may look at Fernandez and see her great accomplishments at the young age of 21, which might inspire them to pursue a career in tennis–or even outside the sport.

Not only that, but these players have also elevated Canada’s status in the international tennis scene. Few people would have considered Canada a force to be reckoned with in the tennis sector before now. However, after Raonic, the rest of the world has found that Canadian players can reach the top.