Purple umpire chairs and a day dedicated to gender equity in tennis in Montréal and Toronto
Committed to advancing gender equity in tennis, Tennis Canada and National Bank are pleased to share a series of initiatives that will be rolled out during the 2024 National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montréal and Toronto to promote the place of women and girls in the sport.
Among the highlights of the tournament’s programming is a transformation that is sure to draw fans’ attention: the umpires’ chairs on the main courts at IGA Stadium in Montréal and Sobeys Stadium in Toronto will be turned purple. The official color of International Women's Day, purple has been used by feminist movements for decades and today continues to be a powerful symbol of the move towards gender equity. This summer, the colour purple will reaffirm the commitment to gender equity pledged by Tennis Canada and National Bank. The message is clear: the umpire’s chair sits atop our sport, where we believe all women and girls have a place.
QUOTES
Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer of Tennis Canada
“Through the Game.Set.Equity. strategy, Tennis Canada and National Bank have made significant strides in creating lasting change for women and girls in tennis, particularly last year when we announced that the National Bank Open will award equal prize money from 2027. Even so, the work is just beginning. Our commitment is crystal clear: we want to move gender equity forward across the Canadian tennis ecosystem and will continue to build awareness of our initiatives in order to do so.”
Lucie Blanchet, Executive Vice-President, Personal Banking and Client Experience at National Bank
"The umpire chair is a strong symbol of our commitment to gender equity at this year's tournaments. Symbols are important in sports: they leave an impression and they’re linked to our values. And beyond the message that the initiative sends, I would like to highlight the determination, perseverance and collaboration of the teams behind the Game.Set.Equity. strategy. It’s changing women’s position in sports. There is a lot going on behind the scenes to get things done and National Bank is proud to support Tennis Canada in this major initiative.”
Valérie Tétreault, Director of the National Bank Open (Montréal)
“It has become natural for us to use the tournament’s platform to convey strong messages driven by our corporate values. An image is worth a thousand words, and that will certainly be the case with our purple umpire chairs, which are sure to spark reactions and conversations about the progress made in gender equity and the battles that must still be fought and won. We believe that leading gender equity activations during the men’s edition of the tournament in Montreal makes our message even more powerful.”
Karl Hale, Director of the National Bank Open (Toronto)
“In Toronto this year, from our marketing campaign to our on-court activations, we have invested every effort to promote gender equity in our sport. As the driving force of tennis development in Canada, our tournament is not only an important showcase for Canadian tennis but also a sensational platform to take action for positive change in the sport. By bringing gender equity to the forefront at the NBO, we hope the visibility will prompt a cascade of positive impacts for women and girls in our sport.”
FURTHER INITIATIVES
In addition to the purple umpire chairs that will stand for the duration of the tournament, the National Bank Open in Montréal and Toronto will dedicate an entire day of programming to promoting gender equity. On National Bank Day, Thursday, August 8, several activations will turn a spotlight on the advancement of women and girls in tennis:
- All-purple evening
- The NBO will invite fans attending the evening sessions at IGA Stadium and Sobeys Stadium to wear purple to celebrate gender equity.
- Centre Court ticket holders in both cities will receive a personalized promotional gift: a purple Game.Set.Equity. quick-dry towel.
- The coin toss before the start of every match will be held near the umpires’ chairs with women’s sports luminaries from Québec and across Canada.
- The Olympic Stadium Tower in Montreal will be illuminated in purple in honour of this special night.
- A girl will be chosen at random to serve on Centre Court and win a special prize to encourage her to play tennis.
- Promotion and visibility
- All day, Tennis Canada and National Bank will be handing out special items to fans on site.
- In Montreal and Toronto, junior girls tennis demonstrations will be featured on Centre Court in both cities, providing young players with a unique tennis experience in front of a crowd.
- Tennis-related speakers or personalities will conduct various interviews throughout the day to spark conversation regarding the place of women and girls in sport, the progress made in recent years and the steps needed for future progress.
To learn more about the Game.Set.Equity. initiative, visit the Tennis Canada website.
