Auger-Aliassime, Fernandez named Tennis Canada’s Players of the Year

MONTREAL Flix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez headlined Tennis Canada’s annual awards on Thursday.

Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime, who won four ATP Tour events last year, including three in a row late in the year before leading Canada to its first Davis Cup, won the men’s singles.

Fernandez of Laval, Que., defending her Monterrey Open title, won the women’s singles.

“After leading Team Canada to its first-ever Davis Cup title and four ATP singles titles, Flix is ​​deserving of the award in the men’s category,” said Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada. “On the women’s side, Leylah has continued to showcase her skills and prove herself to be one of the top talents on the WTA Tour.”

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski won her 10th player of the year award in the doubles category and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., earned fourth.

Dabrowski was paired with Mexican partner Giuliana Olmos for much of the season. Dabrowski, world No. 7, won the WTA 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open and the WTA 500-level trophy in Tokyo, Japan. She also won an event with Brazil’s Luisa Stefani in Chennai, India.

Shapovalov started his season with a couple of stellar victories together with Auger-Aliassime at the ATP Cup in Sydney. In February, Shapovalov paired with India’s Rohan Bopanna to reach the final in Doha, Qatar, and ended his season on the singles court with Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil by defeating Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino and Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo won the National Sports Organization’s Most Improved Player awards.

Toronto’s Victoria Mboko and Montreal’s Jaden Weekes received junior players of the year.

In wheelchair tennis, Rob Shaw of North Bay, Ont., was named Player of the Year, and Saskatoon’s Mitch McIntyre was named Player of the Year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 15, 2022.

The Canadian Press