What’s Wrong With Canadian Tennis?

Canadian tennis is having a rough go of it, eh? Only a single maple leaf adorns the ATP Top 100. Same goes for the WTA. At number 30, Felix Auger-Aliassime has admitted to feeling pressure to perform. It’s tough to lug the expectations of an entire nation around the globe. Likewise, ranked 35 in the world, Leylah Fernandez continually fights to prove her appearance in the 2021 US Open Final was not a fluke.

Elsewhere the comebacks of Canadians Milos Raonic and Bianca Andreescu have been derailed by cascading injuries. Genie Bouchard is pivoting to pickleball. Vasek Pospisil has taken an activist role in the sport, with his latest cause du jour being the tennis balls themselves.

It’s kind of a hot mess. Or a cold mess.

Just a decade ago, professional tennis in Canada showed so much promise. Here’s a look at the factors contributing to its decline.

Bad Luck

Injuries have become an increasingly meaningful part of professional tennis, and Canadian tennis has been nabbed by the injury monster.

Both the power and the grind of the sport are at all-time highs in tennis history, and yet the leaders in tennis refuse to make meaningful calendar reform. That leaves players susceptible to injury, as they push themselves to their absolute limits. Injuries strike every nation, but Canada is particularly vulnerable because it doesn’t have a deep roster of talent.

Which leads to reason number two why Canadian tennis is struggling.

Money

Compared to tennis powerhouses like the United States or European countries, Canada has fewer resources invested in tennis development programs. This includes funding for coaching, facilities and player support systems.

The big reason: Canada doesn’t have a Grand Slam, and the U.S. does.

According to the financial monitoring website GrowJo.com, Tennis Canada’s current operating income is $93.6 million per year. In stark contrast, the same figure for the United States Tennis Association in…