National Bank Open hosts family weekend ahead of tournament start
Posted August 1, 2026 6:32 pm.
Last Updated August 1, 2026 6:33 pm.
Before the matches begin, it was time for Montreal families to take centre court Saturday.
Tennis Canada hosted the IGA Family Weekend Saturday offering free tennis activities for kids to get up close to some of the tournament’s biggest stars.
“It’s mostly for accessibility,” says Julie Gravel, marketing director of Tennis Canada. “We want to make sure that tennis remains accessible. We want to grow the sport. That’s our objective as a federation, so if we can inspire one kid at the end of the day to pick up a racket, like that’s that’s all we need.”
Young fans and their parents got to try their hand at mini tennis and share their passion for the game.
“It’s really fun,” says Jameson Cronin, from Ottawa. “You can do all sorts of different tennis-related activities for free.”
Some said beyond the activities, some said it’s the chance to see the stars up close that brought them to the weekend.
“You can get super close and you can see their process a bit and what they’re working on and how they interact with their coaches and stuff,” said Cronin’s father.
It was also the case for another parent Don Bui who came with his son.
“I’ve been going since I was a kid and now to share that with my children and just seeing the top players in the world in our backyard is practicing feet away from us,” said Bui. “There’s no price for that. It’s just incredible. It’s an amazing week. My favorite week of the year.”
Bui’s passion has rubbed off on his son, who said, he was excited to see the local tennis sensation Auger-Aliassime in action.
While tennis was the main attraction, for some it was meeting mascots and enjoying face painting, yoga, giant bubbles and other activities as a family that was the most fun.
“I love playing here with the mascot and I love playing with my family,” said one young attendee.
This year’s National Bank Open is bigger than ever with a new 12-day format giving an opportunity for more players and more matches.
The tournament starts Sunday and the final is set for August 13.
