Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez receive 2022 Players of the Year Awards

On Thursday, Tennis Canada introduced that Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez are the recipients of the 2022 Tennis Canada Excellence awards for Gamers of the Yr and Singles Gamers of the Yr within the males’s and girls’s classes respectively.

The opposite Excellence Awards went to Gabriela Dabrowski and Denis Shapovalov within the class of Doubles Gamers of the Yr, Rebecca Marino and Gabriel Diallo because the Most Improved Gamers of the Yr, and Victoria Mboko and Jaden Weekes, who took residence the honours for Junior Gamers of the Yr. In wheelchair tennis, Rob Shaw claimed the Wheelchair Tennis Participant of the Yr award, whereas Mitch McIntyre was named the Wheelchair Tennis Most Improved Participant of the Yr.

“We want to provide our congratulations to all of this yr’s recipients of the Tennis Canada Excellence Awards,” stated Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada. “2022 noticed our athletes and group attain new heights each on and off the courtroom. In fact, having led Group Canada to its first-ever Davis Cup title and with 4 ATP singles titles to his identify, Félix is a well-deserving recipient within the males’s class. On the ladies’s aspect, Leylah has continued to showcase her expertise and show that she is among the high abilities on the WTA Tour. It’s particularly pleasing to see Rebecca Marino named the Most Improved Participant following a storybook season for her.

“Gaby has continued to determine herself as one of many world’s finest doubles gamers, whereas Denis has carried out exceptionally in doubles too,” added Downey. Particular mentions should additionally go to children Victoria Mboko, Gabriel Diallo, and Jaden Weekes who’re deserving winners of their respective classes and shining examples as to why the way forward for tennis in Canada is so brilliant. And naturally, our wheelchair tennis athletes Rob Shaw and Mitch McIntyre have represented Canada tremendously, each having profession years on the wheelchair tennis circuit.”

For the second straight yr, Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime clinched the title of Male Participant of the Yr and Male Singles Participant of the Yr. After securing seven titles this season, the 22-year-old completed with a career-high rating of world No. 6. His exceptional 2022 marketing campaign started in Sydney, Australia, the place he helped Group Canada declare the ATP Cup. In February, he earned his maiden singles title on the ABN AMRO World Tennis Event and added to his whole later within the season, profitable three consecutive occasions in Florence, Antwerp, and Basel. Auger-Aliassime capped off his season with a surprising efficiency in Malaga, Spain, profitable all 4 of his matches to steer Group Canada introduced by Sobeys to its first-ever Davis Cup by Rakuten crown. He additionally competed on the year-end ATP Finals in November and was a part of Group World – champions on the Laver Cup in September.

On the ladies’s aspect, Laval’s Fernandez took residence her third Feminine Participant of the Yr and Feminine Singles participant of the Yr awards. The 20-year-old loved a robust 2022 season, defending her title on the Abierto GNP Seguros and reaching the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros with spectacular wins over world No. 12 Belinda Bencic and No. 23-ranked Amanda Anisimova. She was additionally an integral a part of the Canadian Billie Jean King Cup squad that swept Latvia in April, in addition to the workforce that performed within the Finals in Glasgow, United Kingdom. In 2022, Fernandez had a mixed 5-1 document in Billie Jean King Cup motion, shedding her solely match to eventual champion Belinda Bencic. She’s going to end the season as world No. 39.

Doubles, Juniors, and Most Improved Gamers of the Yr

Ottawa’s Dabrowski had one other profitable yr on the doubles circuit. Paired up with Mexican accomplice Giuliana Olmos for a lot of the season, Dabrowski, the world No. 7, clinched the WTA 1000 title on the Mutua Madrid Open and the WTA 500-level trophy in Tokyo, Japan. She additionally gained an occasion with Luisa Stefani of Brazil in Chennai, India. Dabrowski competed alongside Olmos on the year-end WTA Finals and performed with teammate Fernandez through the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November. Dabrowski has now gained the Feminine Doubles Participant of the Yr award for the ten^th time in her profession.

In the meantime, Shapovalov, the 23-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ontario, gained his fourth Excellence Award as one of the best male doubles participant in Canada. He started his season with a pair of stellar wins alongside Auger-Aliassime on the ATP Cup in Sydney. In February, Shapovalov paired up with Rohan Bopanna of India to achieve the Finals in Doha, Qatar, and completed off his season on the doubles courtroom with Vasek Pospisil, defeating Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz within the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

Having fun with breakout seasons in 2022 have been Marino (Vancouver, BC) and Diallo (Montreal, QC). Marino, the 32-year-old Vancouverite, re-entered the Prime 100 for the primary time in 10 years following an amazing marketing campaign. This season, she recorded 49 wins and clinched the largest title of her profession on the $60,000 ITF occasion in Arcadia, California in March. Her year-end rating will probably be a well-earned, No. 64 on this planet. As for Diallo, he turned heads together with his spectacular championship run on the Nationwide Financial institution Championships in Granby, Quebec in August. The 21-year-old rose from world No. 988 to No. 228 in underneath 12 months. He was additionally a part of the Davis Cup-winning squad, taking part in in his first match on the occasion through the knock-out stage in September.

In juniors, Mboko (Toronto, ON) and Weekes (Lasalle, QC) had unbelievable seasons. Mboko gained 4 junior titles (one singles, three doubles), and even added a primary skilled title to her identify, profitable the Saskatoon Challenger in July. The 16-year-old star will finish the yr as No. 6 within the woman’s rankings. Her compatriot Weekes additionally gained 4 titles (one singles, three doubles) and can end the yr as No. 48 within the boy’s rankings.

Wheelchair tennis awards

Moreover, Shaw, the present world No. 7 within the quad division, acquired the Wheelchair Tennis Participant of the Yr award. The Ontario native had one other nice yr, qualifying for the US Open, profitable 10 titles (six singles, 4 doubles), and competing within the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters. The Wheelchair Tennis Most Improved Participant of the Yr award went to British Columbia’s McIntyre, who reached a career-high rating of No. 13 within the quad division. He gained three titles (one singles, two doubles) and jumped up 20 spots within the quad rankings over the previous 12 months.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR