Calgary experienced a whirlwind of excitement as more than 35 professional tennis players from the ATP Challenger tour descended on the city to play in the main draw at the Calgary National Bank Challenger.
The week-long event was sold out, with more than 8,600 people travelling to the OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre for the tournament. Tennis fans not able to secure tickets were able to watch online with more than 100,000 fans tuning in.
Tournament Highlights
Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) defeated Maxime Cressy (USA) in the singles finals to become the 2020 Calgary National Bank Challenger champ. Rinderknech defeated Cressy (3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4).
Canadian Filip Peliwo, with doubles partner Harry Bourchier (GBR), placed second in the men’s doubles, losing to
Max Schnur and Nathan Pasha from the United States.
The tournament featured some of the best professional tennis players in the world competing for ATP (Association of Tennis Professional) rankings. Ivo Karlovic (CRO), 2018 Calgary National Bank Challenger Champ, returned to defend his title. In addition to Peliwo, the tournament attracted Canadians Brayden Schnur and Vasek Pospisil.
A crowd favourite, Pospisil, fighting illness, was out after his first round of play. He tweeted, “Tough turnaround yesterday. Wish I could have felt better out on the court.” Schnur, currently ranked 103 in the world, beat Blake Mott (AUS) in his first match. He was defeated in his second match by Tobias Kamke (GER). (SEE THE FULL TOURNAMENT RESULTS HERE.)
Part of the Community
The Calgary National Bank Challenger not only brings premiere tennis to Calgary, but also provides opportunities to the greater Alberta tennis community through onsite activities and community partnerships.
- KidSport Calgary Day featured the KidSport Calgary – Comrie’s Sports Bank Leisure Olympics fundraising event which raised $800 to help all kids access sport.
- Alberta’s tennis pairs participated in a doubles clinic hosted by legend Daniel Nestor.
- Tennis Alberta hosted Tennis Day in Alberta, which included an awards ceremony recognizing the outstanding contribution and dedication of Alberta’s coaches and clubs.
- The Tssut’ina Nation opened the tournament finals with a Pow Wow.
“The Calgary National Bank Challenger is a well-run, well-attended high-level tennis event that shows how enthusiastic Albertans are about tennis,” says Peter Ogilvie, Tennis Alberta Executive Director. “Joining with the tournament to celebrate Tennis Day and honour the best in the province is an excellent way for us to highlight the strength of our sport.”
This was the second Calgary National Bank Challenger, the largest indoor men’s professional event in Canada.
Need more tournament stats? Check out the top 10 statistics HERE.
From the Archives: Alberta’s First Challenger Event A Well-Executed Showcase of Professional Tennis, 2018
Photo: Kyle Clapham
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