Venos Takes the Lead in a Successful Week for Wheelchair Athletes

Canadian wheelchair tennis players had a stellar week with multiple victories on the international stage. Thomas Venos led the charge by clinching the title at the Futures event in Villers-lès-Nancy, France. Venos fought hard in the final, winning in three sets to claim his first title of the year and the fifth ITF singles title of his career. Notably, this victory marked his first title outside of North America.

Meanwhile, Mitch McIntyre secured his second ITF quad doubles title of the year in Switzerland, dominating the competition with his partner Shraga Weinberg. On home soil, Gary Luker emerged victorious in the quad singles event at the Premier Racquet Club Wheelchair Classic in Markham, ON, winning all his matches in straight sets.

In other events, Anne-Marie Dolinar reached the women’s singles final in Markham but fell short against the top seed from Brazil. Additionally, Canadian juniors excelled at the ITF J100 junior event in Burlington, with three out of four trophies going to Canadian players.

On the ATP Challenger Tour, Alexis Galarneau continued his strong form in Mexico, reaching the semifinals in Acapulco. Looking ahead, Canadian women are set to compete in ITF W100 events in Tokyo, Japan, and Oeiras, Portugal.

In the world of professional tennis, Félix Auger-Aliassime made a solid run to the quarterfinals in Munich, while Denis Shapovalov faced a tough first-round exit in Bucharest. The focus now shifts to the Mutua Madrid Open, where three Canadians are set to compete in the singles draws, including Leylah Annie Fernandez and Félix Auger-Aliassime. Stay tuned to see how these Canadian talents fare on the clay courts in Madrid.