Tennis Canada kicks off fundraising campaign

The funds for Tennis Canada’s high-performance programs come from the significant revenues created by the two Rogers Cup tournaments, as well as from private and corporate donors.

And from now until the Rogers Cup in August, the national federation will seek more funds to help develop the next generation of top players behind Félix Auger-Aliassime, Bianca Andreescu and Denis Shapovalov.

On Wednesday, it launched a new fundraising campaign.

Auger-Aliassime and Andreescu, who have broken out in 2019 and have benefited from significant support from the federation since they were youngsters, will both match the $50,000 they hope to raise.

“I believe in Canada’s potential to be a dominant tennis nation. To succeed, we must continue to invest in young talent. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the financial support I received over the last few years. It’s only natural for me to give back to my sport,” is the quote from Andreescu.

The hashtag, #WhatItTakes, is similar to the one created for the new WTA promotional campaign, #ItTakes.

The campaign, per Tennis Canada, “underscores the perseverance, determination and resources required to hope to become a tennis champion.”

Tennis Canada estimates the development of each athlete costs between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, for three to five years.

If it’s your thing, you can donate here.

The donation page includes a long list of folks who have already donated, divided into categories like “Legends”, “Grand Slammers”, “Ambassadors” and “Aces” depending on level of support.

The list even includes a number of Tennis Canada employees, current and former board members – and Milos Raonic and family.

At the very top level of donations, you can get perks like a tournament credential, “backstage” tours, seats in the Rogers Cup lounges, invitations to the Fed Cup and Davis Cup dinners (if they’re held in Canada, presumably) and even an annual dinner with Tennis Canada president Michael Downey and vice-president of tennis development Louis Borfiga.