Vancouver/Toronto – Tennis Canada announced the formal cancellation of six Challenger events. Due to repercussions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Winnipeg National Bank Challengermen’s event, the women’s Challenger event in Saskatoon, the Granby National Bank Challenger and the Odlum Brown VanOpen will not be held in 2021.
It has also been confirmed that the Calgary National Bank Challenger and the women’s Challenger event in Fredericton will not take place in 2021 following their initial postponement, which was announced in October of last year.
“Challenger events such as these that involve international participants are a complex and expensive undertaking and this weighed heavily in the decision to cancel, a decision that was difficult for Tennis Canada and the respective organizing committees to come to,” stated Eugene Lapierre, Tennis Canada’s Senior Vice President of Professional Tennis in Quebec and Tournament Director of the National Bank Open in Montreal.
Odlum Brown VanOpen
The Odlum Brown VanOpen, a mixed event on the ATP Challenger Tour and the ITF World Tennis Tour, was scheduled from August 16 to August 22, 2021 at the Hollyburn Country Club. In 2017 and 2018, this event was named Tournament of the Year in its category by the ATP Challenger Tour.
“While it is unfortunate to cancel the largest tennis event in Western Canada once again this year, the health and safety of everyone involved is paramount,” said Odlum Brown VanOpen Chair Carlota Lee. “We are thankful to our title partner Odlum Brown and our fans for their unwavering support during this challenging time. We look forward to our tournament returning to the courts at Hollyburn Country Club next year.”
