Tennis Canada plans new roofed centre court in Montreal to upgrade National Bank Open

In a recent move, Tennis Canada has expressed plans to build a new centre-court stadium with a retractable roof in Montreal as part of a major modernisation of facilities at Jarry Park, to match rising standards on the professional tours.

According to National Bank Open tournament director Valerie Tetraault, the proposed project would increase the venue’s capacity to 15,000 seats while adding up to four practice courts and a match court. Tetreault mentioned falling behind and receiving the same feedback from the ATP and WTA made them take this step.

Tetreault said three options were considered: renovating the existing IGA Stadium, building a new stadium within Jarry Park, or relocating the tournament site elsewhere in the city. Due to the extensive cost, the last possibility was ruled out immediately, while the difference between the other two was negligible.

In the next steps, the construction timeline, estimated costs, and project funding will be decided. Tennis Canada has already begun discussions with all three levels of government about potential funding.

As of now, Tennis Canada is targeting the site of an existing baseball field west of the practice for the new venue, allowing the tournament to continue at the current location during construction. The stadium would be a three-season venue, with winterised facilities surrounding a non-winterised court.

The National Bank Open, held annually in late July and early August, often faces disruptions due to rainy weather, raising demand for a roof over centre court. Montreal’s Centre Court last underwent major reconstruction in 1969.

Tetreault noted that there are several gaps and the organisation is currently trying to meet international standards. Meanwhile, in its latest statement, WTA welcomed Tennis Canada’s commitment to investing in the future of the National Bank Open.

Sportscape views Tennis Canada’s decision to build a new centre-court stadium for the National Bank Open as an important step towards improving facilities and increasing credibility of the tournament.