University of Alberta, Tennis Canada and Rogers join hands to Bring Year-Round Tennis to Edmonton
Tennis Canada and Rogers have partnered with the University of Alberta to bring their Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program to Edmonton. This makes Edmonton one of four municipalities to receive funding to develop six new fully covered tennis courts at the Saville Tennis Centre in 2023.
The new courts will be built at the Saville Community Sport Centre, opening up nearly 600 additional court hours per week for community members. The central tennis courts will be named the Rogers 1 and Rogers 2 Courts.
“This investment in these new courts is set to serve more than 1.5 million people in our community alone. This is a remarkable outcome from our mutual commitment to education, community enrichment and advancing excellence in sports,” says Andrew Sharman, vice-president of facilities & operations at the University of Alberta.
“To be named one of the four Tennis Centres is a true testament to the partnership between the University of Alberta, Tennis Canada and Rogers – and to the excellence of the Saville Community Sport Centre and the university’s tennis program,” he says.
U of A tennis teams have consistently ranked as top three in the nation. Under the leadership of Russ Sluchinski, tennis manager and head coach for the Golden Bears and Pandas tennis, the U of A has won seven University National Tennis Championships since 2014.
“This new facility will be more than just a place to come and enjoy the sport of tennis,” says Bruce Saville, Edmonton-based entrepreneur, philanthropist and sportsman. “It highlights a partnership providing opportunities to grow the game by reaching new people and communities.”
The unique facility will combine indoor and outdoor tennis training, which is not currently available anywhere else in Edmonton. The project is scheduled for completion in time for the 2023-24 fall and winter seasons.
The nation-wide program, jointly funded by Tennis Canada and Rogers, aims to increase accessibility to year-round tennis across Canada, and foster increased participation among youth. Canada currently falls behind other leading tennis nations in providing access to the sport year round, with only 750 publicly covered courts across the country, according to Tennis Canada. Tennis Canada and Rogers aim to build 160 new year-round courts at up to 30 facilities across the country by 2029.