One of Montréal’s own performed Monday night ahead of the singles final at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers — and knocked it out of the park.
That wasn’t a surprise, given all the acclaim for pianist and composer Alexandra Stréliski. Her albums have gone double platinum and songs streamed more than 375 million times.
“I love tennis so I’m super happy to be celebrating it,” she said a few minutes before her performance on Centre Court at IGA Stadium. “It’s kind of a small opening ceremony. I think it’s the first time the tournament is doing it, and I think it’s a great idea to just give a little glimpse of the local culture wherever you are around the ATP Tour.”
Besides being a world-class musician, Stréliski is a huge tennis fan.
Nationalbankopen.com caught up with her for a Q & A and touched on her ongoing tour — as well as tennis, of course.
Collaborating with fellow Montrealer, Félix Auger-Aliassime, reignited her passion for tennis. Well before then, a sliding doors moment perhaps ended her hopes of becoming a tennis champion. But it all turned out swimmingly for her.
You have more shows coming up in Québec this month. How much are you looking forward to it?
“I’m one year and a half in, and I’ve been all over the world at this point. And I love it. I love my crew and playing with musicians I adore, so I’m looking forward to seeing them back on the road and seeing the audience. It’s the most real thing you can do as a musician, and to play concerts.”
You are like a tennis player with all the travelling. How did you become a tennis fan?
“My mom used to watch (Pete) Sampras and (Andre) Agassi in those years. Then I kind of stopped watching it. Then two years ago I did a little sequence with Félix Auger-Aliassime and (tournament director) Valérie Tétreault gave me tickets in exchange. So, I came and I watched and I got completely hooked on it. And I got interested in all the players. I’ve been watching for two years, the men and the women. I have the app to watch all the matches, and I’ve been really enjoying it a lot.”
What matches or players stand out for you?
“(Novak) Djokovic and (Carlos) Alcaraz have given us incredible tennis. The Cincinnati (2023) finale was just crazy. In this tournament this time, I thought that Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev gave an amazing (third-round) performance. And I was really surprised by the semifinals on Sunday. Two players we know a bit less (Alexei Popyrin and Sebastian Korda) and they had played already in the morning. I thought they gave a great performance.”
READ: Valérie Tétreault: In adjustment mode
How much do you play, if any?
“A little bit. I’m not sure I have a style. When I was little, Tennis Canada wanted to recruit me but then we moved to France, and I started to play the piano and I put all my energy there. I’ve always loved playing. I’m playing really recreationally. I have a one-handed backhand.”
As a pianist and so using your hands, are you able to play that much?
“I have to be careful. Right now, I’m taking lessons because I don’t want to hurt myself. Once I did. I was playing racquetball a while back and I hurt myself and I had to go see an osteopath. I go regularly to osteopathy, I have to, because piano is kind of a physical thing.”
We often talk about nerves in tennis. What are the nerves like for you when performing and how have they been over the years?
“I try to stay focused on what I’m doing and also live the moment because when I do get these moments of quiet in an enormous crowd, it’s a very magical moment. Just to be sitting with all these people in silence, we live this in tennis a lot. And I think I just try to live it with people, basically. It kind of just flows when I’m playing in this kind of trance. I’m assuming when you are playing good in sports, it’s similar. The points just go. You can’t overthink. Your head is going to be in the way. Kind of have to let it flow.”
Finally, what’s on your tennis bucket list in terms of places you’d like to go?
“I would love to go to Wimbledon and Roland-Garros. I lived in France, I love Paris and we’re just out of the Olympics. I think they did an amazing job, too. I would love to go to Wimbledon as well. Very, very classy, very silent, different type of tournaments. So, I guess those ones would be great.”
Featured photo by: Pascal Ratthé
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