Star Power: Canada's Gabriel Diallo a popular draw at the National Bank Open
Spectators who couldn't get a seat for his doubles match were packed in tight between the bleachers and the fence to try to catch a partial glimpse of the six-foot-eight right-hander.
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The Province
2 hours ago
- The Province
Sportsnet tennis debacle reveals the have and have nots in Rogers sports empire
Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime (right) talks with George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays before the start of a MLB game in Toronto on July 22, 2025. Photo by Jon Blacker / The Canadian Press As a popular Canadian athlete and Olympic medallist, appearing at the downtown dome to toss out a ceremonial first pitch prior to a recent Blue Jays home game, the cross-promotion made sense for tennis player Felix Auger-Aliassime. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors A Rogers-sponsored athlete at the Rogers Centre for a Rogers-owned pro team to help pump up an event in which Rogers is the presenting sponsor. All the more reason, then, for those in the Auger-Aliassime camp and Tennis Canada to be miffed at how the Rogers-owned network broadcasting this week's National Bank Open at York University dropped the ball. Sportsnet's decision not to produce its coverage of opening week action of the NBO in both Toronto (men) and Montreal (women) has not sat well with many of the principals involved with Canada's marquee event for the sport. Though reluctant to criticize their broadcast partner directly and publicly, behind the scene Tennis Canada and tournament officials are miffed at Sportsnet's cost-cutting moves during the early rounds, opting for the ATP world feed for the first week of play. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. (On Saturday through next weekend's finals, Sportsnet's regular, top-notch tennis crews were back in action in both Montreal and Toronto, as were the network's own producers.) Even that development has come with some trimmed corners, however. There will be production crews on site at both venues, as well as those calling the action. Studio coverage will be from Rogers headquarters, however, eliminating the possibility of big-name players dropping by the set for interviews. The most egregious shortfall took place on Wednesday, however, when Auger-Aliassime's match, a tense straight-set loss to Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, was not shown at all on Sportsnet. Tennis Canada officials had purposely scheduled the popular Canadian in prime time and on the stadium court to maximize the audience — a win-win exposure wise. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Where the communication broke down between Sportsnet and ATP's in-house folks remains to be seen. But NBO tournament director Karl Hale said at a Friday news conference that the situation would be addressed. 'Obviously what happened, we didn't want that to happen,' Hale said, according to the Canadian Press. 'We're going to have those discussions (on Sportsnet producing the full event in future years.) We've already started it. So I think there will be a better solution going forward as we move along.' You have to believe that Hale will insist upon it, give the damage already done. Sportsnet's cost-cutting move was a fail on multiple levels, with multiple parties taking the brunt, starting with Tennis Canada. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Given that the mission of the sport's governing body is to grow the game here and have more Canadians watch and participate in it, having the broadcast partners drop the ball so notably was a blow. Surely, folks at Rogers headquarters are asking questions, given the reaction to Auger-Aliassime's absence from the airwaves. The company is a presenting sponsor, after all, and the event was once known as the Rogers Cup and a significant source of production and pride for the company. We're also told that the Auger-Aliassime camp was not amused either, another disappointment given his early exit eliminated any opportunity for some coast-to-coast exposure later in the tournament. It's entirely possible that whoever makes the decisions, be it Rogers or Sportsnet, is committed to cutting costs and consequences be damned, figuring viewers will watch no matter what. (Wrong, as that is.) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But if that's the case, it certainly highlights the haves and the have nots within the vast Rogers sporting empire. There is no shortage of resources at Blue Jays games, as Sportnet's television coverage on a nightly basis is both in-depth and expertly produced. And no, the Rogers overlords are not likely to move the Baseball Central set away from the dome any time soon, either. We can likely expect even more attention paid to Maple Leafs and Raptors coverage going forward, given Rogers' controlling stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Is it possible that the outrage from stakeholders through the opening week of the NBO is loud enough to prompt change going forward? Possibly. In the present, though, surely a tournament that was once a summer viewing highlight for Canadian sports fans deserves better than the bare bones treatment it got until the proper switch was turned on Saturday. Read More Tennis Local News Columnists Vancouver Whitecaps News
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Canada's Victoria Mboko stuns No. 1 seed Coco Gauff to reach NBO quarterfinals
Victoria Mboko of Canada waves to the crowd following her win over Coco Gauff of the United States during round of 16 tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi) Even Victoria Mboko couldn't believe what she achieved. It was billed as the tournament's marquee match. A rising Canadian star — and last remaining singles hope from the host country — facing her stiffest test yet against the No. 1 seed. And she blew past her in just 62 minutes. Mboko's stellar run at the National Bank Open hit a new level Saturday with a dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory over Coco Gauff of the United States, lifting the 18-year-old from Toronto into the quarterfinals before a raucous, sellout crowd at IGA Stadium. 'I don't even know what to say,' said Mboko, smiling in disbelief. 'I was shocked about it all. Everything came so fast. There were so many people. I feel like tonight I'll let it soak in a little bit more, but I'm still on the high a little bit.' The whole year has been a high. Mboko's ranking rocketed to 85th in the world this week after she began the year outside the top 300. That number is projected to jump into the 50s with her performance in Montreal, and her rise appears unlikely to end there. After major crowd support for Eugenie Bouchard early in the tournament, the buzz in Montreal shifted around Mboko as the teenage sensation took centre court. Mboko met the moment, flashing the powerful groundstrokes and blistering serve that few opponents have had answers for on the pro circuit this season. 'Your support was incredible,' Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of 'Olé, Olé, Olé!' chants echoed around the venue. 'I'm really happy to win today.' 'When I was up 5-4, the crowd started cheering even louder, and everything got super noisy,' she later added. 'I used that as more fuel for myself and to pump myself up a little bit more. I just used the crowd to my advantage as much as I could.' Gauff, meanwhile, made unforced error after unforced error, firing some shots long and many more into the net. Mboko, who will play Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, saved all four breakpoint opportunities while converting four of her five chances. She also won nearly 60 per cent of the points, her 11 unforced errors half of Gauff's 22 on a dismal night for the American star. The youngster is only the second teenager — and first Canadian — to defeat Gauff, as well as the first player this season to not drop a single service game against her. 'I knew she would come in with a lot of confidence,' Gauff said. 'I knew that it would be tough. I don't know, I just felt like I could do better today, but I also knew that if I took my foot off the gas a little bit, that she would take advantage of those moments, and she did. 'She's playing high-level tennis. I think that's what showed today. I think she was the better player.' The first set took a swift 25 minutes. The 21-year-old Gauff double-faulted on the third point of the match, leading to an early break for the Canadian. In the seventh game, Gauff doubled-faulted and sent two shots into the net in succession to lose the set. When the two players previously met at the Italian Open in May, Mboko also took the opening set but Gauff convincingly won the next two to snag the victory. This time around, Mboko kept her foot on the gas. 'I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match,' she said. 'I had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome a little bit. I just remember when she came out playing even better and stepped it up a bit better. 'Wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing, and I wanted to stay right there with her.' Gauff, this year's French Open champion, scraped by with three-set wins in Rounds 2 and 3. She struggled with her serve, striking a whopping 37 double faults in the two matches combined — adding six more on Saturday. Tied 3-3, she earned three breakpoint chances with the match tied 3-3, but committed an error each time as Mboko hung on to win the game. Then with Mboko leading 5-4, Gauff doubled-faulted twice more to set up two match points for the Canadian, who quickly took advantage. It's the latest chapter in a breakthrough season for Mboko, who also played in her first two Grand Slam main draws, reaching the French Open third round and Wimbledon second round. Her impressive record in all competitions this season improved to 50-9, including 24-8 against players ranked above her. In only her seventh WTA main draw, she advanced to the quarterfinals of a 1000-level tournament for the first time, knocking off higher-ranked opponents at each step. Mboko opened with a win over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, then upset 23rd seed and former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin before snapping Marie Bouzkova's seven-match winning streak with a relentless comeback and taking down Gauff, dropping one set the whole way. 'I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future,' Gauff said. 'She's very athletic. She's a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn't get really too negative. 'Hopefully we have many more battles, and I look forward to playing her again in the future.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upsets top-seeded Coco Gauff to reach Montreal quarterfinals
Victoria Mboko of Canada waves to the crowd following her win over Coco Gauff of the United States during round of 16 tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarterfinals. 'Your support was incredible,' Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of 'Olé, Olé, Olé!' chants echoed around the venue. 'I'm really happy to win today. .. It's incredible. I'm so happy to beat such a great champion.' Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults Saturday after having 23 in her opener against Danielle Collins and 14 against Veronika Kudermetova. 'She's playing high-level tennis.' Gauff said. 'I think that's what showed today. I think she was the better player.' The 18-year-old Mboko, ranked 85th in the world, finished off the 21-year-old Gauff — who had 24 unforced errors — in 1 hour, 2 minutes. 'When I was up 5-4, the crowd started cheering even louder, and everything got super noisy,' Mboko said. 'I used that as more fuel for myself and to pump myself up a little bit more. I just used the crowd to my advantage as much as I could.' Mboko will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 winner over Lin Zhu of China in a rain-interrupted match that ended just before midnight. In Rome in May, Gauff rallied to beat Mboko 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. 'I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match,' Mboko said. 'I had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome a little bit. I just remember when she came out playing even better and stepped it up a bit better. Wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing, and I wanted to stay right there with her.' Earlier, 24th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan set up a quarterfinal match. Kostyuk beat McCartney Kessler of the United States 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, and Rybakina topped Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. The Associated Press
