CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Calgary National Bank Challenger ("The Challenger" or "The Tournament") Tournament Director and CEO of the OSTEN & VICTOR Tennis Centre (ATC) Danny Da Costa, announced the first three players to compete at this year's Calgary National Bank Challenger. The Challenger is taking place at the OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre from November 5-12, 2023.
Returning to the Calgary National Bank Challenger for the second consecutive year, is former World No. 12 and Wimbledon Singles Finalist Sabine Lisicki of Germany. A holder of four WTA singles titles, Lisicki reached the finals of Wimbledon in 2013 Wimbledon. Lisicki also reached the Semi-Finals of Wimbledon in 2011 and Quarterfinals on three other occasions (2009, 2012, 2014). She has defeated several World #1 singles players in her career including: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki. At the 2022 Challenger, Lisicki was a quarterfinalist, and is thrilled to be competing again in this year's Tournament.
Also competing for the second year is Singles Finalist Urszula Radwanska of Poland. Radwanska is a former Top 30 WTA Player. Urszula has wins over former Top 10 players including Martina Hingis, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Venus Williams and her sister and former World No. 1 Agnieszka Radwanska.
In the men's Tournament, Former World No. 18 Benoit Paire of France will make his first appearance in Calgary this year. Paire, is currently ranked #121 in the world and has appeared in nine ATP Tour Finals, winning three ATP Tour 250 titles in his career (2015 Swedish Open, 2019 Marrakesh Open and 2019 Lyon Open). He has also reached the Round of 16 at each of the four Grand Slams including the 2022 Australian Open and has also won 14 ATP Challenger titles in his career including two in 2023 (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and San Benedetto, Italy). Benoit holds titles over several Top 10 players including Canadians Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka, France’s Richard Gasquet, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
"Our ability to attract established players like Sabine Lisicki, Urzsula Radwanska and Benoit Paire to Calgary, is indicative of the quality event we are running and their desire to compete in Calgary," says Danny Da Costa "We look forward to welcoming more rising stars and up-and-coming established players to Calgary in the coming weeks."
A full player list will be announced on October 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the Core Shopping Centre.
Tickets for The Challenger are available to purchase for as little as $30.00 per day. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit www.calgary.nationalbankchallenger.com.
For more information about the ATC, please visit http://www.albertatenniscentre.ca/.
ABOUT THE CALGARY NATIONAL BANK CHALLENGER:
The Calgary National Bank Challenger is the largest combined men's & women's indoor tennis tournament in Canada. The Calgary National Bank Challenger has quickly emerged as one of the best ATP Challenger events in the world and one of Alberta's premier sporting events. In 2022, the Challenger hosted our inaugural International Tennis Federation (ITF) Women's Pro Circuit $60K Event featuring many of the best up-and-coming and established female players in the world. In 2023, the Calgary National Bank Challenger became the first International Tennis Federation W60 event in Canada to offer paid hospitality to female players.
Past participants of the Calgary National Bank Challenger event include: Former World #2 and 2022 US & French Open Singles Finalist Casper Ruud of Norway; Former World #12 and 2013 Wimbledon Singles Finalist Sabine Lisicki of Germany; Canadian tennis star and former Wimbledon Doubles Champion and World #25, Vasek Pospisil; Former World #14 and 2018 Calgary National Bank Challenger Champion Ivo Karlovic of Croatia; Former Top 5 player Tommy Robredo of Spain; 2020 Calgary National Bank Challenger Singles Finalist and current World #32 Maxime Cressey of the United States of America and 2020 Calgary National Bank Challenger Champion Arthur Rinderknech of France who is now World #56.
For more information: www.calgary.nationalbankchallenger.com
ABOUT NATIONAL BANK CHALLENGER TOURNAMENTS
The Calgary National Bank Challenger is among several tournaments in the Challenger circuit sponsored by National Bank in Canada. Aiming to support the development of the international elite, the professional tournaments provide Canadian athletes with their first experiences on the Tours and the opportunity to earn valuable points to move up in the world rankings. Over the years, the National Bank Challenger tournaments have served as a springboard for players including Canadian stars Félix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Annie Fernandez, Denis Shapovalov and Bianca Andreescu, as well as Casper Ruud, Maxime Cressy and John Isner of the US, Daniel Evans of the UK, Angelique Kerber and Sabine Lisicki of Germany and Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
PLEASE CONTACT:
REBECCA HURL
Senior Account Manager
Brookline Public Relations, Inc.
Cell: (403) 818 6918
Email: rhurl@brooklinepr.com
