Q & A: NBO Montreal Tournament Director Valérie Tétreault on Sabalenka, Andreescu, Andreeva & What’s New in the Tennis Playground

She addressed a wide range of topics including Aryna Sabalenka’s dominance, Mirra Andreeva’s emergence, Bianca Andreescu’s return, the tournament’s redefined culinary experience for 2025, and much more. 

*The following interview has been edited purely for clarity and flow purposes.

Tennis Canada: You just came back from Madrid where you attended WTA meetings and took in the sights at the Mutua Madrid Open. What were some of the highlights from the trip? 

Valérie Tétreault: It was a great week at the Madrid tournament. This is the second year in a row that the ATP and WTA have held their meetings there. Normally, there are two key moments in the year when several meetings are held for tournament directors around the world. First in Madrid and then at the U.S. Open. I'd say there's a lot going on at the moment, with lots of things happening in the tennis world, so there were several important and interesting updates from both the WTA and ATP. At the end of the day, it's always interesting to be out there building relationships, talking to people who are organizing other tournaments elsewhere. It's always an opportunity to pick up new ideas or things we think might work well here, so I'd say it's time well spent. Unfortunately, this year I didn't have much time to visit the site and enjoy the tournament. But I followed with interest the announcement of their second match court and what's to come. They're talking about an 8,000-seat stadium, while we're still working on our feasibility study for the IGA Stadium modernization project.

T.C.: We recently announced our new caterers for the 2025 National Bank Open. How crucial is a revamped food and beverage offering going to be as part of the tournament’s 12-day programming and to the new Tennis Playground brand identity?

V.T.:  For me, when we talk about customer experience, it's clear that there's one part that's mainly focused on the tennis aspect of the tournament in other words, what happens on the courts, and then there's the other part, which is what happens on-site, and for me, I'd say that the food and beverage component plays a big part in improving the customer experience. Tennis events are different from other sports in that people spend many hours at the National Bank Open. Which means that, inevitably, at some point they'll end up eating or drinking something while they're here, so it's really part of their experience.  I like to say that at the NBO, we're memory makers, and I think we all agree that in life, most of the memories we cherish are sharing with others and often it's associated with something you've eaten, so for me it's an important part. And I think the timing was right given the expansion of the tournament, the fact that we're entering a new era for the NBO, we wanted to redefine the experience and now we're really going to offer something that is completely revamped. The menus won't be the same as what people experienced last year. We're working with three new caterers, and each will be concentrating on a slightly more specific area of business. We're bringing in expertise through our partnership with Sodexo Live, who are involved in most of the world's biggest tennis tournaments including the French Open, the Australian Open, and Indian Wells. I'm excited because I think it's going to bring new opportunities that people are going to appreciate.

T.C.: Speaking of programming, we also recently announced the first batch of on-site activities for this year’s tournament with some exciting additions to the schedule. What are you most excited about? 

V.T.: I'm really excited our on-site programming! It's fun because I feel like we're trying something new this year. We're definitely not copying and pasting. It's a lot of work to come up with new initiatives, but I think it also motivates us.

I'm inclined to name two things I'm particularly excited about. The first, given the new format, was the opportunity to create a second weekend of programming. We're well aware of the popularity of our Family Weekend, which aims to make tennis more accessible to families, to give people who have never had a connection with tennis the opportunity to do so. With our second weekend, we wanted to create another experience but still with the same goal of making tennis more accessible, so we created what we're going to call Tennis FEST. The aim is to introduce people to tennis in all its forms. To create interesting experiences from a culinary point of view and to make sure there's a festive atmosphere on site. A big tennis party in Montreal!

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The other event I'd like to mention is the UNMATCHED Conference. We've had one in Toronto for a few years now, focusing on gender equity in sport, and now we're bringing it to Montreal on the day of our semi-finals, and we're working hard right now to confirm who our panelists will be. But I think it's going to be a pretty unique conference in terms of what else is on offer in Montreal right now. As we all know, women's sports are booming, and our aim is to demonstrate that by working together, we can better position them. I think this will be an opportunity to bring everyone together and inspire everyone.

T.C.: We’re less than 100 days away from the start of the tournament. How are preparations going? 

V.T.: Of course, when we reach the 100 days to go mark before the tournament, the nerves build up a little and so does the intensity. There's a greater sense of urgency to make decisions and start executing. It's fun in the office because this is the time of year when we welcome employees who come to help us during the summer. Preparations are well under way. I think everything's starting to fall into place, and ticket sales are going really well too. The further along we get, the more I really feel that this 2025 tournament is going to be special, and I'm convinced that in 20 years' time, when we think about the historic highlights of the National Bank Open, the 2025 edition will be one of them.

T.C.: Aryna Sabalenka has established herself as the best player in the world right now. Not to mention that she’s popular everywhere she goes, including Montreal What makes her such a great ambassador for women’s tennis? 

V.T.: We've been following her for a few years now. I think she's found a way to channel all that energy inside her to find the consistency she lacked at the start of her career. Aryna is impressive to watch. It seems like every week she's the one who has to start as the favourite in the draw, no matter what surface, to win the tournament. I think her popularity comes from the fact that she's authentic on the court. People like to see the emotions, she has a lot of power, there's a real curiosity to see that. I think people appreciate her personality beyond her performances. She's funny, she's able to bring a different flavour and her own colour to tennis. There are a lot of young players starting out now who idolize Aryna Sabalenka. It's starting to remind me of the Maria Sharapova years.

T.C.: Mirra Andreeva has officially arrived. What impresses you most about her? 

V.T.: It's been incredible to watch Mirra Andreeva since the beginning of the season. she's been identified as one of, if not the best prospect on the WTA Tour for some time now. I think it's fair to say that she's no longer the player of tomorrow, but the player of today. What I like about her is that she really enjoys what she's doing, and you can feel that. Even we have a bit of a smile on our faces when we watch her play. Despite her young age, she's already mature enough to be able to handle all the emotions she might feel on a tennis court, especially when the pressure's on. It's early, but that's what convinces me she's here to stay. In her case, I really.feel like she has the make up of a champion. Her tennis sense too. Yes, she can hit with great power but she also reads the game really well and knows how to adapt her strategy depending on who's on the other side of the net. All that and she just turned 18. If there's one player I'm particularly looking forward to seeing in Montreal, it's Mirra Andreeva.

T.C.: During our last conversation, I asked you about the fast-rising Canadians making a name for themselves at the pro level. This time, I have to ask you about a player who everyone knows: Bianca Andreescu. She started her much-anticipated comeback during the clay season. How meaningful and important is it to have a healthy Bianca back playing, both for the WTA and for the OBN? 

V.T.: I'm relieved and very happy to see Bianca Andreescu back on the court. We know how challenging it's been for her in recent years, since that incredible season she had in 2019. Unfortunately, the pandemic slowed her progress and then the injury bug hit which meant that every time she got back into the swing of things, there was another setback, and she had to take time away from tennis. But every time she makes a comeback, it's impressive how quickly she can find her best level, become competitive and a threat to the top players in the world. I'm sure none of the top seeds want to see Bianca in their section draw, because she's still such a dangerous player.

It's great news for Canadian tennis. She became the first player to win a Grand Slam singles title, so she's left a major mark on the history of Canadian tennis, and I think she can still do a lot more. I think she's been a great role model for many young players. For the WTA, Bianca has always attracted crowds to her matches.  I think a lot of people enjoy watching her play. She's spectacular to watch, she has a lot of tools in her bag, so it's only positive if Bianca can find her best form again, and that's the first thing I hope for her so that she can play a full season healthy. I'd also like for her to have the chance to make new, more positive memories at the Montreal tournament. Because we all remember that the last time she was here, she was injured and had to take a long break. She has already won the NBO, but that was in Toronto. I can't wait to see what kind of momentum she can build up before coming to Montreal. She knows IGA Stadium very well, having trained here before. I think our fans will be anxious to see her again and they will be fully behind her when steps onto the court.