Mission, History & Strategy
What is the Ontario Tennis Association?
The Ontario Tennis Association (OTA) is the provincial sport governing body for tennis in Ontario. It is a non-profit organization, incorporated under the Corporation Act. It is the largest provincial tennis association in Canada, boasting 250 clubs and approximately 65,000 adult and child tennis players.
The OTA aims to make tennis more accessible for all Ontarians and to provide a structure of services which will assist players to reach a level of competence consistent with their personal goals and abilities.
The strength of the OTA is seen in both its sheer numbers and exposure to every corner of the province, and for the creation and maintenance of an atmosphere of unlimited tennis opportunities for players of all levels, from grassroots to national caliber athletes.
View our 2022-25 Strategic Plan
Mission Statement
The Ontario Tennis Association promotes participation in tennis as part of a healthy lifestyle and encourages the pursuit of excellence for all players.
History
The roots of the OTA date back to 1890, when the first official Canadian men’s singles championships was played at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, September 2nd to 6th, with American E.E. Tanner of Buffalo, NY, taking the title.
The Ontario Tennis Association was founded at a meeting of tennis enthusiasts in Barrie, in 1918, as the Ontario Lawn Tennis Association. Colonel Blackstock, Jack Boys, Garnet Meldrum and Jack Little, all well known tennis figures, were present. In 1919, the first Annual General Meeting was held and Blackstock was elected the association’s first president.
In 1974, the OTA established ten regions throughout the province to administrate tennis programs at the local level and coordinate their own individual boards.
Past Presidents of the OTA:
Year |
OTA President |
| 1919 | Colonel Blackstock |
| 1920-47 | Jack Little, Walter Burns, Ed Condon, Mel Brock |
| 1948-52 | Jack Little |
| 1953-56 | J. Stafford, H. Beck |
| 1956-58 | Lorne Main |
| 1958-59 | Jim Bentley |
| 1959-61 | Frank Dimock |
| 1961-62 | Roy Mansell |
| 1962-66 | Zouch Palmer |
| 1966-70 | Ross Brown |
| 1970-73 | Lawrence Strong |
| 1973-76 | Klaus Bindhardt |
| 1976-79 | Dieter Wolff |
| 1979-82 | Jim Lewis |
| 1982-84 | Steve Stevens |
| 1985-86 | James Varley |
| 1987-89 | Gus Daal |
| 1990-93 | Tony Schafer |
| 1994-95 | Oluf Lauridsen |
| 1995-99 | Pam Olley |
| 1999-2001 | Stan Hannaford |
| 2001-05 | Malcolm Still |
| 2005-07 | Keith Porter |
| 2007-12 | Michel Lecavalier |
| 2012-16 | Scott Fraser |
| 2017-2020 | Rob Nicholls |
| 2021-Present | Dianne Weatherby |