IGA Stadium’s 11,991 seats and open roof have cost the Canadian Open competitiveness. Providing the best tennis matches in the most spectator-friendly conditions is the main aim of every event, which is why the National Bank Open, commonly known as the Canadian Open, is aiming for a major revamp. Being one of the 1000-level events on the calendar and a joint ATP-WTA event, the tournament organizers have recognized the need to be on par with other events in terms of modern tennis stadiums.

“Modernizing the facilities at IGA Stadium has become imperative to preserve the unique model that Tennis Canada has built over several decades”, said Valerie Tetreault on the Tennis Canada website. The current IGA Stadium in Jarry Park, Montreal, has the dual drawbacks of limited capacity (11991) and no roof, which creates problems for players and the audience in case of rain.

According to Tetreault, the need to build a new stadium is not just for appearances but also to compete with the stadiums at other 1000-level events. The new stadium is set to seat 15,000 spectators and will feature a retractable roof, a major advantage.

This will ensure that the stadium in Montreal will be equally impressive as the Sobey Stadium in Toronto, which features modern amenities and hosts the Canadian Open every year, alternating ATP and WTA events between Montreal and Toronto. Tetreault expressed confidence in the project’s success, as it incurred no new location costs and was slated to be constructed at Jarry Park itself, and would be built for all three seasons.

Tennis Canada is following a proven model. The Cincinnati Open completed a major renovation last year, with a total investment of $260 million that included the construction of a pavilion and additional canopies on the outer courts to protect spectators from the weather. For the players, the tournament built a state-of-the-art indoor facility with multiple courts for practice sessions.

The Canadian Open would become the fourth 1000-level event to feature a retractable roof, joining Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Open), La Caja Magica (Madrid Open), and the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. (Shanghai Masters). However, the tournament organizers will also hope that player participation, especially among the top-ranked players, is robust at the event, something that was lacking last year.

The Canadian Open Saw a Large Number of Top Players’ Withdrawals Last Year

Top-ranked players understandably command larger crowds and viewership, something the ATP event at the Canadian Open sorely missed. The high-profile trio of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic all withdrew due to injury concerns last year, which affected ticket sales.

The Canadian Open sits in a precarious calendar slot, played a few weeks after Wimbledon and just before Cincinnati and the US Open. With the tournaments now a 12-day event, players have voiced concerns about long playing days and inadequate rest between Grand Slams, which they want to play. For players like Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic, who could be in the latter stages of the tournament, playing Canada and Cincinnati gives them little wiggle room for rest and recovery ahead of the US Open.

The way the tennis calendar is shaping up, a similar dilemma may face the organizers of the Canadian Open. Carlos Alcaraz is out of action with a wrist injury, and the exact date of the Spaniard’s return is uncertain, even if encouraging medical updates have surfaced.

On the other hand, Novak Djokovic plays a very limited schedule now, and should the Serb make a deep run at Wimbledon, he will potentially skip Canada once again. Sinner, on the other hand, has a special connection to the event, having won his maiden Masters 1000 title there, but the Italian’s participation will also depend on his Wimbledon campaign and physical condition.