I completed the Canadian tennis double this year with a day at the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montréal. We had tickets for the Thursday to watch third round action. Unfortunately our day was cut short by the rain but it was still a worthwhile experience to soak up some live tennis at a new tournament. I hope this post might be of use for anyone considering a trip to the tennis in Montréal.

Buying tickets

Tickets for the 2023 Montréal tournament were already on sale in December 2022 when we started planning the trip. It was easy to find seats although the best ones close to the court were not available. Montréal seems to be a more popular event than Toronto. In 2023, 220,000 people attended the Montréal tournament compared to 175,000 in Toronto. Tickets are already available for the 2024 edition of the Omnium Banque Nationale.

The main stadium is called Stade IGA and has three tiers: 100 (lower tier), 200 (middle tier) and 300 (upper tier). Like Toronto, there are a variety of pricing options depending on how close you are to the court. We searched all the different options to find the best trade-off between price and proximity to the court. There are some seats on the main stadium that are not in the sun – if you’re looking for shade then go for the back few rows of the circular-shaped stand behind the players (sections 216 to 222). Section 218 and Row T is definitely in the shade at the start of the day!

When purchasing tickets, you need to create an account on the website. You can use the same credentials for your Omnium Banque Nationale account if you have an account with Ticketmaster Canada. We had no issues purchasing tickets online. We paid $198 CAD for a pair of tickets (roughly £120).

After our day session was cut short by rain, we did consider buying a night session for the Friday as the tournament offered us a 50% discount. Once the prospect of a Kvitova-Sabalenka quarter-final faded I gave up on that idea. I’m so glad we did because we would have gone for tickets on the night session that finished at 3am in the morning 😂.

Getting to and from the venue

Stade IGA is located at Jarry Park in Montréal. We used the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) which is the metro. We were in Montréal for three days so bought the 3-day All modes A card for $21.25 CAD. It was perfect for us as the card could also be used for the bus that goes between Downtown Montréal and the airport. We stayed near Old Montréal so took the metro from Champ-de-Mars to Jarry on the Orange line. This took about 15 minutes. There are several metro stations for the tennis and De Castelnau on the blue line is closer to the venue.

Montréal Metro Map (Source: https://www.stm.info/en/info/networks/metro)

We were early so got off at Jarry and walked to the venue. It was a nice walk through the quiet streets of Jarry with boulangeries on most corners and then through the park. The Montréal tournament grants you free travel on the STM metro with a ticket for both journeys to and from the tennis. We’d already purchased the travelcard so didn’t test this.

Entering the grounds & what to take

There are three entrances to the ground. We approached from the Jarry direction so came in the North entrance (Entree Nord). One difference with Toronto is that the grounds in Montréal open at 10:30am, not 10am. This is a shame and seems rather late when play on the outside courts starts at 11am. We arrived early and there was already a small queue forming. The volunteers were so friendly and spoke to everyone. They opened the gates at 10:25am and it only took five minutes to go through security.

You are allowed to take in a small rucksack to the venue. My camera was checked (it’s an 18-200mm lens) but it was fine. We took in some snacks too. I forgot to empty the water out of my drinks bottle. They didn’t say anything and it was fine. I’ve found for most tournaments that they are more lenient than what they put on their website – I think it’s to try and put people off bringing in food and drink so you spend more money in the grounds!

The courts

A map of the grounds and location of all the courts can be found here on the Montréal website.

Stade IGA

It was a real wow moment when we walked into the stadium for the first time. Stade IGA seats 11,815 people and it’s a beautiful stadium. By the way, IGA is a supermarket in Canada which I didn’t realise until we went in one in Montréal! We went into the stadium before the first match as had spotted Coco Gauff on the practice schedule. I’d never seen Coco live before after she went out of her way to avoid me at Eastbourne this year 😂. Very happy to finally tick Coco off my live list. Still not seen her play a match though!

Our seats were in the circular-shaped stand behind the court in section 218 and row T. The general view was great. It wasn’t ideal for taking photos with people’s heads in the way and the glass screens that lined the central concourse. The leg room was better than in Toronto but the seats were uncomfortable. They clattered every time you get up!

I’d always been impressed with the atmosphere from watching matches on the TV. I was disappointed that the stadium was not full at the start of the first match between Iga Swiatek against Karolina Muchova. I’m not sure if this was due to the impending rain? Swiatek-Muchova didn’t quite live up to my expectations. This was self inflicted because my expectations were skyyyyy highhh after their terrific French Open final earlier in the year. There wasn’t a lot for the crowd to get their teeth into so the atmosphere was a little subdued. I feel like I have unfinished business with Stade IGA having only seen half a match!

Rogers Court

The second court in Montréal is much bigger than the Grandstand court in Toronto. It has a lower bowl which is ticketed and an upper bowl which can be accessed by everyone in the grounds. There are staircases that lead up to the two upper tier stands. There’s a nice view across the grounds from the top before you head into the court.

There is no security so you can wander in when you like which can be annoying if people turn up in the middle of points. Again, the seats clatter when you stand up so you can’t exactly enter quietly! The upper tier is quite steep and I like the perspective that you get for watching tennis. We had a nice view behind the court for watching the first match of the day between Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini.

The outside courts

Courts 5 to 11 are in a cluster to the north of Rogers Court. As we were later in the week, we only saw practises on these courts. We watched Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok warm up together on court 5 which has stands on three sides.

The outside courts are like a maze and it must be fun to dart around in the early days of the tournament. We watched Caroline Garcia (who had already been knocked out of the tournament) practise on court 8. There was a viewing platform that you could watch from. The picture below is the closest you could get to court 8.

Practice courts

There are a trio of practice courts to the west of Rogers Court. The tournament did a great job at updating practice court schedules regularly on the tournament app and website. We knew that Iga Swiatek was practising at 10:30am on court 2 so we headed straight there when we arrived.

There are three rows of benches to watch on one side of court 2. A front row view to watch the world number one – can’t ask for better access than that! This was definitely one of the highlights of the day to see Iga up close. I was taken aback by how she was hitting so aggressively yet making so few errors.

Grounds and facilities

I really liked the venue in Montréal, more so than Toronto. It felt like there was more of a buzz going on with the venue centered around the main stadium. The Wi-Fi on the grounds was decent and better than anything we’ve ever had at the British tournaments. It was a bit spottier than in Toronto and it didn’t work so well on one side of Stade Iga.

There were water stations to fill up water bottles dotted around the grounds – the water pressure was better than in Toronto! There were plenty of toilets around the grounds but they were all very small. We came out of Stade IGA during a rain delay so obviously there were lots of queues around this time.

There’s a seating area with deckchairs in the centre of the grounds where they had a big screen showing the tennis in Toronto. This helped to pass some time while it was raining.

Food and drink

We were much better prepared than in Toronto so brought our own sandwiches to the tournament. This is much cheaper than buying something on site. Once the rain arrived and we knew it wasn’t going away then alcohol was the only option to counter the disappointment. We bought some cocktails from a drinks stand on the north stand of Stade IGA.

The tournmament has an official cocktail which is the Dragon Cocktail with Dirty Devil vodka, lemonade, red grapefruit juice, dragon fruit syrup and soda. We also tried the Montréal passion fruit mule with Dirty Devil vodka, passion fruit juice and ginger beer. Both very nice and were $13 CAD each. We kept the cups – it would have been nice if they had the tournament written on them (I still adore my US Open Honey Deuce cup from 7 years ago). Still, a nice memento from the tournament.

Shopping

We went in the main store called Tennis Giant when it was raining which had lots of tennis gear. We found a tournament merchandise stand near Entree Gary-Carter et Prestige where all the items were behind the counter. I probably would have bought a cap if I could have looked at it in my leisure but the moment passed!

Final thoughts

I’m grateful we got to see some live tennis on the gorgeous main stadium – I wanted more! It’s a great tournament. If you have to choose between Montréal and Toronto, I would definitely go for Montréal. The 2023 tournament will be remembered for the rain and the bad scheduling. My lasting memory will be legging it to the metro station in our ponchos in the torrential rain 😂.

If you have any questions about the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montréal then i’d be more than happy to help. Please leave a comment or e-mail MooTennisBlog@gmail.com

I couldn’t resist adding to the tradition of writing about my favourite matches of the year. It’s by no means a complete list as I barely watched anything after the US Open. These are the matches that I will remember from 2023. If you fancy a blast from the past then you can read previous countdowns on MTB here.

10. Sofia Kenin d. Coco Gauff, 6-4 4-6 6-2 (Wimbledon, R1)

There were a handful of moments in 2023 where Kenin popped up out of nowhere with a potent reminder that she’s still a dangerous player who can beat anyone on her day. The rallies in this match were fantastic! In hindsight, this tough result for Gauff may have spurred her on for what would be a glorious summer.

9. Linda Noskova d. Victoria Azarenka, 6-4 6-7(3) 7-6(6) (Adelaide, QF)

Noskova’s run to the final in Adelaide as a qualifier in the first week of the season was one of the most impressive of the entire season. The quarter-final against Azarenka was a terrific contest where there was so little to choose between the pair.

8. Aryna Sabalenka d. Iga Swiatek, 6-3 3-6 6-3 (Madrid, Final)

A much hyped clash between #1 vs. #2 that delivered. Both played well at the same time. Sabalenka was too good on this occasion in what was arguably her best performance of the entire season.

7. Clara Tauson d. Leylah Fernandez, 6-3 5-7 6-4 (French Open, R2)

A hidden gem from the early rounds of the French Open on the outside courts. A thoroughly enjoyable match between two players that I always find myself rooting for.

6. Ons Jabeur d. Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3 (Wimbledon, SF)

A wonderfully charged and intense semi-final. Not the highest quality but I remember being hooked and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Jabeur and Svitolina ran the show at this year’s Wimbledon, each taking out four Slam champions, before running into Vondrousova.

5. Iga Swiatek d. Karolina Muchova, 6-2 5-7 6-4 (French Open, Final)

What is it with my favourite players peaking at the French Open?! From looking down and out in the second set, Muchova mounted a stirring comeback and was so close to winning the whole caboodle! Muchova brought the best out of Swiatek who found another gear at the end of the third set. Great final.

4. Emma Raducanu d. Beatriz Haddad Maia, 6-1 2-6 6-4 (Indian Wells, R3)

One of the few matches away from the Slams in 2023 that I was completely invested in. Indian Wells can be a tough watch yet somehow I didn’t notice how slow the courts were as Raducanu and Haddad Maia pummelled tennis balls at each other. The third set was a treat with one memorable rally where Raducanu had to hit overhead after overhead after overhead…

3. Karolina Muchova d. Aryna Sabalenka, 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 7-5 (French Open, SF)

The French Open was my favourite tournament of the year and Muchova-Sabalenka was the peak. A sensational match with a surprising plot twist at the end. I remember heading off to play tennis and following the live scores in the car. I was in utter disbelief when Muchova won the last five games and saved a match point in the process! 😱

2. Elina Svitolina d. Victoria Azarenka, 2-6 6-4 7-6(9) (Wimbledon, R4)

This match just got better and better and better. An absolute classic played out in a pandemonium atmosphere. It was such an unfortunate moment after the match with the crowd booing at the no-handshake because both players deserved a prolonged standing ovation. Svitolina’s comeback in 2023 was one of the brightest stories of the year. She returned almost a different player with an aggressive flair that was on show in this memorable match.

1. Aryna Sabalenka d. Elena Rybakina, 4-6 6-3 6-4 (Australian Open, Final)

When I watched this final back there was no doubt that it was my match of the year as I felt nervous again even though I knew what happened! I think the final stood out even more because the second week of the Australian Open was largely forgettable. For Sabalenka, this was a victory for perseverence. One year prior Sabalenka had a pretty severe case of the serving yips and had repeatably blinked in big matches. Rather fittingly, it was Sabalenka’s serve that held up when trying to serve out the match in a classic nerve-shredding final game. A high-quality final with an exciting finish. You couldn’t ask for more 😊.

Best of the rest:

Caroline Garcia d. Leylah Fernandez, 7-6(5) 7-5 (Australian Open, R2): Low-key one of the best match-ups of the year. Garcia won all three of their clashes but they were all so closely contested.

Caroline Garcia d. Laura Siegemund , 1-6 6-3 6-3 (Australian Open, R3): Another great match with Garcia that the crowd went cuckoo for. I felt like Garcia was onto something with these two wins in Melbs but she would exit the tournament in the next round.

Ons Jabeur d. Olga Danilovic, 4-6 6-4 6-2 (French Open, R3): I don’t understand why Danilovic is not making more noise?! Danilovic played a superb first set but Jabeur found a way. Fun match.

Venus Williams d. Camila Giorgi, 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(6) (Birmingham, R1): One of the most dramatic matches of the year. In awe of Venus.

Iga Swiatek d. Belinda Bencic, 6-7(4) 7-6(2) 6-3 (Wimbledon, R4): One of the most memorable days of tennis when Svitolina-Azarenka was happening at the same time. A classic escape from Swiatek.

My 2023 predictions were a mixed bag as ever – I managed to get the top two right but not a lot else! The bro and I also did men’s predictions offline and he got the top 4 men all in the right order. I don’t know how he does it!!! Before posting my predictions for 2024, let’s take a look back at what I said from last year’s post and how my predictions compared against reality.

I think the top ten is calling [for Zheng Qinwen] in 2023.

Not quite. Zheng Qinwen ended the season strongly and finished at #15 in the rankings.

Can Pegula win a Slam in singles? Hmm I still don’t see Pegula as a title contender at the Slams just yet.

Correct. But I underestimated Pegula’s ranking by a few places.

I think Samsonova will reach at least one Slam quarter-final in 2023 and win a WTA 1000 title.

No and no! Samsonova didn’t reach the second week of any of the Slams. She did come close to a WTA 1000 title though, twice reaching the final in Montreal and Beijing. Ironically I wrote about Samsonova’s improved mentality last year which I thought was an issue for much of this season.

Superb attitude, constantly learning and evolving, and versatile with a game for all surfaces. Gauff will continue to impress.

I’ll take this as a win as I was just one place out with Gauff. I didn’t think Coco would win a Slam in 2023 though.

I think Anisimova will win a Slam in 2023.

Yikes. This aged badly. Anisimova took a break from the tour in May to prioritise her mental health. I’m thrilled to see Anisimova has accepted a wild card into Auckland next year. No predictions from me next year. I just hope Anisimova is able to find some joy again on the tennis court.

 A first Slam final incoming. I’m still on the fence whether Sabalenka can actually win a Slam though.

Yes and no. I was spot on with Sabalenka finishing at #2 but I was still wary whether she would win a Slam. Sabalenka won her first Slam at the Australian Open.

It will take something special to knock Swiatek off the number one perch. I’m going for two more Slams in 2023 including one step closer to the career Slam.

Correct with Iga being number one. I didn’t think she’d lose her spot during the season. I also thought she’d win two majors but it was just the one at the French Open.

Ostrava!!! showed that Krejcikova can beat literally anyone on her day. Hopefully a season without any big injuries. Top 15.

Not bad. Slightly underestimated Krejcikova as she finished the season inside the top ten.

… Having watched Garcia through much of her career I think I will always be wary. Top 20.

Yes! I was right to be wary. Garcia finished at exactly #20 in the rankings.

I think Vondrousova will be one of the biggest risers of the season. WTA Comeback player of the year for 2023? Top 20..

Ooo this was a good one! Vondrousova was nominated for WTA Comeback player of the year. Of course, I didn’t see Vondrousova winning Wimbledon.

It feels inevitable that Muguruza will bounce back from #55 (!). How far though? I’m not as hopeful as usual. Top 30.

Sad face. But Mugu seems happy off the court.

[Niemeier] has a great game. Performed her best on the big stage in 2022. Top 30.

Oh dear. Niemeier had a rough year and is now outside of the world’s top 150.

Clean game. Solid mentality. [Noskova] as WTA Newcomer of the year for 2023? Top 30.

Noskova was actually nominated for WTA Newcomer of the year! She started the season on an absolute tear by reaching the final in Adelaide and then went onto make another final in Prague. Noskova finished at #41 in the rankings so quite close.

Muchova has the game and mentality for winning Slams. Her body has let her down so often so it’s tough to make predictions.

The one year I don’t go all in with a prediction on Muchova!!! Muchova’s health is still an issue but she shone on the big stage in 2023 and that was just lovely to see 😊.

Slam Predictions:

Australian Open: Swiatek

French Open: Swiatek

Wimbledon: Bencic

US Open: Anisimova

Eeek. Swiatek at the French was not a huge surprise. The other three weren’t even kind of close so let’s move on… 😂.

This is the annual post on Moo’s Tennis Blog where I have a go at predicting the season-ending top ten for the upcoming season. You can view last year’s results here and previous years here. I think this list is perhaps not quite as wacky last year?  🤔 Read on for my 2024 predictions…

10. Zheng Qinwen: Picking a number 10 was a challenge and it has changed hands several times! I’m going once again for Zheng to crack the world’s top ten.

9. Barbora Krejcikova: I adore Krejcikova’s game and she is one of those players who can beat literally anyone on a good day. I think that Krejcikova will have a deep run in the singles at the French Open or Wimbledon.

8. Jessica Pegula: A permanent fixture in the top ten due to her consistency and reliability. The big question – can Pegula break through the Slam quarter-final barrier? I’m saying yes! I would still be very surprised if Pegula actually won a Slam.

7. Ons Jabeur: Like Pegula, another mainstay in the top ten. I don’t think I can cope with another Wimbledon heartbreaker for Ons!

6. Naomi Osaka: The signs are promising. I am fascinated to see what kind of schedule Osaka plays. I’m keen to see Osaka play at Wimbledon (been banging on about it in the post for years) where she hasn’t played for 5 years as i’ve always felt grass is a surface that could suit her game. I think Osaka bags a Slam in 2024 and the WTA comeback of the year award.

5. Aryna Sabalenka: Sabalenka was such an interesting case in 2023. She was the most consistent player at the Slams and big tournaments, and won the Australian Open, yet she still experienced some really jarring losses. I still think there are some demons to contend with and overcome for Sabalenka and I tend to think that 2024 won’t be as strong as 2023.

4. Coco Gauff: I have huge admiration for Gauff for her adaptability and versatility. I could never have imagined Gauff winning the US Open having looked completely lost on the court for much of the first half of 2023. I think it will be another fruitful year for Gauff. I think Coco will win a couple of Masters 1000s and challenge at Wimbledon.

3. Karolina Muchova: I know this is a gamble because, as I write this, I think Muchova is still struggling with the wrist injury that ended her 2023 season. I’ve always regarded Muchova as Barty-esque as she has variety and flair which is such a weapon in women’s tennis. Somehow I still feel Muchova is going under-the-radar? Well, no surprises that Muchova is firmly on my radar and i’m going all in. Muchova to win Wimbledon in 2024.

2. Elena Rybakina: I have done the full 360 on Rybakina who was a tremendous oversight on my predictions from the last two years. Someone rightfully called me out in the comments on my post last year 😂. I could never get Tokyo 2020 out of my mind. I was impressed with Rybakina’s reliability in 2023 and how few “bad” losses she took. Rybakina almost always got up for the big matches against the best players. There’s a pureness to Rybakina’s ball striking that makes her so watchable. I think Rybakina will win another Slam in 2024.

1. Iga Swiatek: Not exactly sticking my neck out with this one. I was impressed how Swiatek handled losing her number one spot and played some of her best tennis in the Autumn to regain it. I think Swiatek will be dominant in 2024 and win at least one more Slam.

Best of the rest:

Marketa Vondrousova: I fancy another strong year for Vondrousova. In the same mould of Pegula that she will win lots of matches against players you would expect her to beat. Top 12.

Maria Sakkari: Happy for Sakkari to win the WTA 1000 in Guadalajara last year. It still hasn’t changed my overall feeling of her prospects going forward. Top 12.

Mirra Andreeva: Impressed with the way she carries herself and instinctively knows what to do. A great tennis brain and seems mentally sound aside from the occasional show of petulance. Considered top ten but still limited by what tournaments she can play. Top 20.

Sofia Kenin: I nearly went top 10 for Kenin but was put off because her results in 2023 were so wildly inconsistent! A dark horse and one to watch for sure. Top 20.

Linda Noskova: Staying on the Noskova bandwagon. Soon will be a regular fixture in the Slam seedings. Top 30.

Peyton Stearns: One of the most improved players in 2023. Feels like on an upward trajectory. Top 30.

Ashlyn Krueger: Not surprised to see Kreuger win a title last year as i’ve always liked her game. One to watch. Top 50.

Daria Saville: I want only good things for Dasha! She played such a great match against Swiatek at the US Open last year. Top 50.

Alina Korneeva: Expect to see more of Korneeva at the WTA level. Newcomer of the year? Top 100.

Slam Predictions:

Australian Open: Swiatek

French Open: Rybakina

Wimbledon: Muchova

US Open: Osaka