Eight months after successful Canada’s first Billie Jean King Cup in Seville, Spain, the gamers of that successful squad — Leylah Annie Fernandez, Gabriela Dabrowski, Marina Stakusic, Eugenie Bouchard, Rebecca Marino, and crew captain Heidi el Tabakh – had been honoured in a particular Tuesday evening ceremony at Sobeys Stadium, the place they got their championship rings.
The Canadian squad was bulletproof en path to their historic run to the title final fall. Having raced to the highest of Group C with dominant victories in opposition to host Spain and Poland, Canada went head-to-head with Czech Republic, a nation that had already received this title 11 occasions, within the semifinals.
After the 2 groups break up the tightly contested singles rubbers, Fernandez and Dabrowski upset the seven-time Grand Slam-winning duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in doubles to assist Canada safe a spot within the remaining. Within the championship match between Canada and Italy, Stakusic overcame Martina Trevisan, then Fernandez clinched the tie with a dominant victory over Jasmine Paolini.
“I simply had goosebumps watching that video, reliving that second,” el Tabakh, who additionally grew to become the primary feminine captain to guide their crew to victory since 2017, informed Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae in an on-court interview. “What an unimaginable week that was, from begin to end. These women simply made historical past and I could not be extra happy with each certainly one of them. For me to simply play a tiny half in that simply means the world to me.”
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For Dabrowski, an Ottawa native who final week partnered with Félix Auger-Aliassime to win Canada’s first Olympic medal in 24 years, there’s a totally different type of feeling that washes over any participant when they’re tasked with representing their nation in a crew competitors. “I am proud to symbolize Canada alongside a number of superb athletes, clearly, at one of the prestigious sport occasions in your entire world,” she stated of her Olympic expertise. “We’re so fortunate to have the chance to compete there, and hopefully, we made you guys proud too.”
Fernandez, who additionally received the Billie Jean King Cup Coronary heart Award final yr, carried the Canadians to victory final November. She received all 5 of her matches that week, incomes victories over reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova within the semifinals and future two-time Grand Slam finalist Paolini within the remaining.
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When requested what she hoped younger girls would have the ability to take away from this victory, Fernandez had some phrases of knowledge for the subsequent technology of gamers who hope to symbolize Canada on the worldwide stage: “I believe the one factor that I would like these younger women, younger youngsters, to remove from our accomplishment could be: Preserve working laborious, hold having enjoyable, and by no means let anybody outdoors of your self doubt you [or] to place any ceiling above your accomplishments, as a result of something is feasible. You have simply set to work laborious.”
The WTA’s finest return to Toronto this summer season for the Nationwide Financial institution Open August 4 to 12, 2024 at Sobeys Stadium. 2024 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets at the moment!
Characteristic Photograph: Peter Energy
