Q & A with NBO Montreal Tournament Director Valérie Tétreault: Gearing Up for the Summer, Monfils, the Victoire’s Historic Walter Cup & Hockey Playoff Fever

We thought it would be the perfect time to catch up with Tournament Director Valérie Tétreault to chat all things tournament prep, the ATP season so far, as well as the hockey playoff fever which has taken over the city thanks to the Canadiens and the Victoire. 

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

Tennis Canada: We’re now a quarter of the way through the tennis calendar and Roland-Garros is underway. What are some of your main ATP takeaways so far and what are you most looking forward to following in the coming weeks? 

Valérie Tétreault: We’ve already seen some great tennis on the men’s side, which comes as no surprise. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the first part of the season is that if anyone was wondering whether the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner dominance would continue, I think we can say the answer is yes—maybe even more so this year than ever before. It feels like there are those two, and then the rest. It’s more a question of how you position yourself among the rest. This rivalry is becoming the new Nadal-Federer; their matchups are always highly anticipated. 

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Looking ahead, I obviously dream of seeing another Canadian player win the tournament because last summer was incredible, but if that doesn’t happen, I’m hoping for an Alcaraz-Sinner final in Montreal. Aside from those two players, it’s great to see that Félix Auger-Aliassime has been able to carry over his strong second-half momentum from the 2025 season; he still has a shot at becoming world no. 4 in the coming months, which I find really interesting. I also enjoy following Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien—you can see they’re continuing to develop and improve. 

Tennis Canada: We’re officially less than 100 days away from the tournament. What are some of the big projects and initiatives that the team is working on getting over the finish line? 

Valérie Tétreault: This is one of my favorite times of the year, because right here in our offices, we’re starting to feel the excitement building as we get closer to this year’s event. We’re shifting into high gear, making more decisions, and starting to get a better idea of the schedule and how the tournament will unfold. A lot of people will be joining the team in the coming weeks, so we’ll have extra support. We're still riding the wave from last summer, so we’re going to try to make sure that wave carries us all the way to the tournament. 

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Tennis Canada: Speaking of projects, what’s on the Tournament Director’s desk these days as tournament preparations shift into high gear?

Valérie Tétreault: A considerable amount of my time over the past few months has been spent on our long-term plan. We’re facing some challenges with our current venue infrastructure, so we’re moving forward with discussions to fully understand what kind of funding we can secure to help us have facilities that meet the standards required and expected for a tournament of our caliber, and to ensure the sustainability not only of the NBO in the long term, but also of our model, because the growth of tennis across the country depends largely on the surplus we can generate from the tournament. Honestly, it’s the biggest project on my desk, and it’s a complex one that’s taking up more and more of my time. Also, given the time of year, this is when we start conversations with some of the players, begin looking at the wild card situation, and make more strategic decisions about what we’re going to do for this summer’s event.

Another important upcoming event is the Davis Cup tie between France and Canada in September. I think it’s going to be one of the biggest Davis Cup ties in our history. It’s exciting to know that, right after the NBO, there will be another major tennis event in Quebec.   

Tennis Canada: The ATP will be saying goodbye to a few popular players this season with the likes of Gaël Monfils and Stan Wawrinka announcing their retirement. I know the fans are anxious to know if Montreal will be part of their tennis farewell. Are there any updates you can share with us about them or any other players? 

Valérie Tétreault: I’ve received the first official request for a wild card from Gaël Monfils’ team, who would very much like to play in Montreal one last time. We know he’s had success here and that he’s a fan favourite. I’d say this is a special year in that regard, because, on the men’s side, we have five wild cards for the main draw, and of course, the goal with them is to help Canadian players, but there are also opportunities to raise the entertainment value for the fans coming to the tournament, and that’s what we’re currently evaluating. We weren’t necessarily expecting to have a lot of interesting options, but in the end, I think we’ll have to wait a few more weeks before making any decisions. There are also players on our radar who are slipping a bit in the rankings and who might need a wild card—there’s Matteo Berrettini, there’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, there’s Grigor Dimitrov— I think there are going to be some tough choices to make. I’d be curious to hear what the fans here think! I think this could give us even more exciting first-round matches.

Tennis Canada: The Montreal Victoire are Walter Cup champions. What does this historic title mean for the city and for women in sports? 

Valérie Tétreault: The Montreal Victoire's Walter Cup triumph represents a truly defining moment for women’s sports in Quebec and Canada. Beyond the championship itself, this success reflects the exceptional growth currently being experienced by women’s sports—in terms of public interest, partner engagement, and the quality of the athletes and events on display. Seeing packed arenas, inspired young women (and young men!), and ambitious organizations continuing to push the boundaries demonstrates that we are witnessing a true cultural shift in sports. It is inspiring for the entire Canadian sports industry. We also hope to have the opportunity to celebrate this achievement with the team at the National Bank Open this summer! 

Tennis Canada: The Montreal Canadiens are in the midst of magical playoff run as well. How does this kind of excitement bolster the NBO? 

Valérie Tétreault: We can see just how much sports can bring people together, and that feels good. Hockey gets everyone fired up, and we’re jumping on the bandwagon too. Let’s be honest, when the Canadiens are in the playoffs, there isn’t much room for anything else. We’ll have to be strategic about how we promote the tournament to make sure we generate buzz at the right moments, but like everyone else, we’re cheering with tremendous interest.