STORY OF THE WEEK

Five Tournament Wins in 2025 for Mboko!

 Vicky Mboko (Burlington) continued her incredible hot streak on the ITF Women’s World Tour this season. Last week she won her fifth singles title in 2025, in six tries, at the W75 event in Portugal! 

The 18-year-old extended her win-loss record for the season to 27-1 after defeating world number 116 and the tournament’s top seed, Great Britian’s Harriet Dart, 6-1 6-1 in the final. This is the highest ranked player Mboko has defeated in her young pro career. 

She has the most singles wins on the ITF World Tennis Tour this year with 25 main draw match wins. 

When the WTA rankings are updated, the Mboko should rise to the mid-160’s – it will be her highest-ever ranking. Mboko has received a wild card entry into the WTA 1000 tournament beginning March 24 in Miami. 

For complete tournament results, click here. Congratulations Vicky! 

HEADLINE STORIES

Yonex U12/U16 Junior

Indoor Provincials Results!

The Yonex U12/U16 Junior Indoor Provincials tournament wrapped earlier this week at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto. The Girls U12 Singles Final was won by the top seed, Callie Raharinosy. She defeated the second seed Emma Dobrean 6-1, 6-4. In the U12 Boys Singles Final top-seeded Daniel Marinov defeated third-seeded Hammond Chan 6-0, 6-1. In girls doubles action Raharinosy and Janelle Mao defeated Dobrean and Charlotte Macdonald 8-2 in the final. The boys’ final saw Marinov and Marco Bryan defeat Christoph Ross and Evan Yu 8-7(3). 

In U16 girls’ singles action, the second seed, Dongchen Ding, defeated top-seeded Sophie Dement 3-6, 6-2, 4-0, retired. The boys U16 final saw second-seeded Brayden Woo defeat the number four seed, Aedan Malik, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. The girls doubles final saw Dement and Payton Dith defeat Anvika Saraswathi and Polina Tulupnikova 8-2. In the boys doubles final, Woo and Callum Mackinnon defeated Malik and Jacob Kharlip 8-4. 

Pictured above, left to right U12 Boy’s 1st through 6th place: Brandon Zhang (5th), Evan Yu (4th), Daniel Marinov (Champion), Lok Chan (Finalist), Marco Bryan (3rd) and Christoph Ross (6th). 

The U14 and U18 divisions began Wednesday and wrap up Sunday at Sobey’s Stadium. 

For complete U12 and U16 singles and doubles results, click here. 

For U14 and U18 draws and results, click here. 

O30/35/40/45 ITF Masters

World Team Championships

The ITF Masters World Championships for players aged 30+ to 45+ are underway in Manavgat, Turkey. Round robin play began Sunday. Canada has teams in Men’s O30/O35/O40/45 and the Women’s O30 divisions. 

The final day of the round-robin portion of the Championships (Wednesday) was a good one for Canada. The teams went 4-1 heading into the medal portion of the competition beginning Thursday. The men’s Over 35 team defeated India 2-1. The Men’s Over 40 and 45 teams beat Norway and Australia 2-1, respectively. The Men’s Over 30 team lost a close one to Turkmenistan 2-1. The Women’s Over 30 team continued their winning ways defeating host Turkey 3-0. 

Ontario is represented by 10 athletes: 

Women’s O30: Carmen Lai, Simmy Leung, Joanne Homza 

Men’s O30: Jabrille Kabli, Ziad Halabi, Derek Van Den Berg 

Men’s O35: Marek Merwart 

Men’s O40: Ely Schwartz, Alexander Ratz, Alex Bykov 

A special shout out to OTA staff member Ely and former OTA staff member Ziad! 

For complete tournament results by age category, click here. 

OTA Club Pro 1 Course

at Kingston Racquet Centre

The OTA and TPA are excited to announce the confirmation of the Club Pro 1 Course this coming spring/summer. This presents a unique opportunity for you to take your coaching skills to new heights and enhance your professional journey. For more information, please see below. 

2025 OTA Club Pro 1 

Dates: 

· April 25th-27th 

· May 30th-June 1st 

· June 19th-22nd 

Venue: Kingston Racquet Centre 

Address: 1025 Innovation Dr, Kingston, ON K7K 7G2 

Course Fee: $950 + TPA Certification Fee and Applicable Taxes 

How to Register: Click here to register 

Entry criteria for Club Professional 1: 

· Instructor Certification 

· Playing level of 4.5 on the Play Tennis Canada Rating scale 

· 17 Years old (as of first day of course). 

· Candidate needs 150 Hours of tennis coaching experience or if less has passed the Instructor course with honours. 

· Be a current member of the Tennis Professionals Association. 

The Club Pro 1 Course will not only enhance your coaching skills but also contribute significantly to your professional growth. Elevate your coaching career and register today. 

Community Tennis League Spring Session 1

Please note that the entry deadline for CTL Spring Session 1 has been extended to Thursday May 2nd. For more information, please see below. 

The Ontario Tennis Association in partnership with Tennis Canada, is excited to be extending the CTL program this spring in the following municipalities. 

• Kingston 
• Quinte West 
• Toronto East 
• Toronto West 
• Mississauga 
• Niagara 
• Oakville/Burlington 
• Markham-Richmond Hill 
• Vaughan 

Community Tennis Leagues (CTL) helps connect players so they can organize friendly matches with similarly skilled players in their community. 

How does it work? 

•  Register online and pay the registration fee ($20+tax) 
•  Players are organized into a group based on their level 
•  Contact info is sent to your group – players are responsible to arrange their match when and where works best for them (at your club, hub, or public court) 
•  Enter your scores online and win prizes*! 

*Complete 4 matches, receive a $5 Tim Hortons gift card! 

**For every match you play, you’ll be entered into a draw for a chance to win 2 tickets to the NBO! 

Who can play? 

Anyone aged 18 years or older can play. 

For beginners looking to play their first match, or advanced players looking for new competition! 

We have three divisions: 

• Beginner (2.5 and below) 
• Intermediate (3.0 and 3.5) 
• Advanced (4.0 and above) 

When does it start? 

• Registration is OPEN and closes May 2 
• When registration closes, you will be placed in a group of 4-6, playing 4 or 5 matches over a month 
• 2024 Spring Session 1 runs from May 3 – June 5 
• Check out the Ontario leagues webpage for updates on future sessions 

Interested in learning more? Check out the website for more information or to register: https://www.communitytennisleagues.com/ 

Please feel free to forward this message along to tennis players in your network! 

REGISTER TODAY! 

Stratford TC to Host 55th Regional Tourney!

The Stratford Tennis Club is thrilled to invite members of the surrounding area to the 55th Annual Regional Tennis Tournament. This prestigious event will be held June 14th in beautiful Stratford, at our 5-clay court venue. The tournament features men’s and women’s doubles categories. 

Teams are guaranteed 4 matches and the $125.00 entry fee includes lunch and prizes! Teams can enter now by email at info@stratfordtennisclub.com or by phone at 

519-272-0062 (March 21 - September). 

Stratford Tennis Club offers a park-like setting perfect for a competitive and enjoyable day of tennis. Teams are encouraged to enter now, and we look forward to a fantastic day of great matches, camaraderie and sportsmanship. Whether you're competing or cheering from the sidelines, this is an event you won't want to miss! 

Stratford Tennis Club is located at: 371 Water Street, Upper Queen's Park (near the Stratford Festival), Stratford, ON. N5A 3C8. 

Yonex EZONE

 at Merchant of Tennis

Play full power with the Yonex EZONE at Merchant of Tennis! 

Elevate your game and style on court with the EZONE 8th Generation series in Blast Blue. Engineered to achieve a large sweet spot and unmatched power. 

Shop Yonex: www.merchantoftennis.com/yonex 

Merchant of Tennis’ Oakville location was recently impacted by a fire in an adjacent unit. The store is currently undergoing renovations and will be closed until further notice. Visit their website for the latest updates: www.merchantoftennis.com/oakville 

Keep track of upcoming deals and events: www.merchantoftennis.com/pages/newsletter 

Shop Gift Cards: www.merchantoftennis.com/collections/gift-cards 

MerchantOfTennis.com is open 24/7 with shipping and store pickup services available.
Store hours and updated information: www.merchantoftennis.com/pages/contact-us 

Connect with Merchant of Tennis:
www.instagram.com/merchanttennis
www.facebook.com/MerchantTennis 

OTA Club and Regional News

U16 Yonex Ontario Boys

Provincial Championships Held at PRC

Premier Racquet Clubs (PRC) - Mississauga is pleased to have been chosen to host the U16 Yonex Ontario Boys Provincial Championships last week and will host the U18 Boys draw this week. 

This tournament had a 32 player draw for singles and 16 player draw for doubles teams. The winners of this championship will participate in the Canadian Nationals later in March. 

PRC – Mississauga was excited to host this prestigious tournament in its first year of operation. The club opened November 18, 2024, with 7 tennis courts. Two of the tennis courts also convert to pickleball. Located at 5320 Ninth Line (at TACC Dr) in Mississauga, this club is focused on training high performance junior players. There are lessons and programming for beginner 5-year-olds through to advanced adults. 

The following PRC – Mississauga high performance program participants competed in this tournament: 

Alexander Stefanov (16 years) – singles, doubles 

Luka Radosavljevis (14 years) – singles, doubles 

For more information please contact: Francois Danican (Head Pro) – 647-398-9220 or infomiss@premierracquetclubs.com 

New St. Catharines Tennis Club

Opens this Spring – Join Now!

Registrations for a membership at the new St. Catharines Tennis Club have officially opened! 2025 will be the inaugural year for the 4 brand new courts opening in Merritton located at 7 Park Avenue.

This is very exciting for all Tennis fans across the Niagara Region, as the city has not had a club in over a decade. The new Club will allow members to take part in a range of leagues, lessons, activities and events.

Early bird memberships are available until early Spring, so make sure you sign up soon if you plan on playing tennis this summer!

For more information about the New St. Catharines Tennis Club, click here.
To join the St. Catharines Tennis Club, click here. 

The Thornhill Club Offers

Trial Membership in 2025!

The Thornhill Club Tennis Division is offering a trial membership* for the 2025 outdoor tennis season. You can join the 3-court Har-Tru surfaced facility for the summer season (May to October) for only $660 + HST, monthly capital fees, activity fee and contributions to clubs’ OTA membership dues. The club’s initiation fee is waived during the trial period. Members will have access to the club amenities including tennis, pool and dining for the trial period. Fitness and group exercise access is available for an additional fee. For more information and to join, contact Sports and Activities Manager Darryl Jinks at djinks@thornhillgcc.com. 

*not available to any past Thornhill Club member 

We Want Your Club and Regional News!

Is your club hosting a significant tournament or event, does it have an anniversary coming up, is there a volunteer or player who deserves recognition for their contributions? If so, we want to hear about it. Just send a photo and a short write up to us and we’ll feature it in SPIN in our OTA Club and Regional News section. To submit a story for consideration, just email pmalcomson@tennisontario.com. Tell us why you’re great! 

Tournaments - Community -

Outreach -Courses

Click the calendar above to see the live list of upcoming events

OTA Marketplace

See the World Like a Touring Pro with Tennis: Europe!

See the World Like a Touring Pro with Tennis: Europe! 

Now in our 51st summer with over 5,730 past participants, here is your chance to improve your tournament mental toughness and strategy on the European red clay against challenging competition. In 17 to 26 days, you can add 10 to 20 to 30 matches to your tennis resume, with most matches counting toward your UTR ratings for college tennis coaches. 

TENNIS: EUROPE is a unique combination of tennis, travel and tournament match play with quality coaching. You will travel with juniors from all over North America in an athletic TEAM atmosphere and meet players from all over the world, making lifelong friends. Expand your horizons, learn life lessons and pursue success. Our past Ontario players have ranged from Angela Walker (1979) who went on to be #1 in Canada to Will Adamson (2023) of Ottawa. 

Tennis: Europe trips at a Glance: 

• Coed teams of 14-16 players with 2-3 coaches, American college coaches, RSPA, PTR certified. Many American college coaches and most other coaches are certified RSPA and PTR teaching professionals. 
• Players 13-18 years of age, ability level teams from school varsity to highly ranked levels. 
• Like the tour, one tournament week per country, 2 to 4 countries in 17 to 26 days. Your choice of locations and prices, visit www.tenniseurope.com and see "Our Trips" page of website. Off-court fun activities from viewing Wimbledon to the beaches of Spain. 
• Special departure for OTA after Junior Provincial Championships and special discount for IT
• Matching Grant Awards, ask us for details. 

Hundreds of past Tennis: Europe players have gone on to play American college tennis, even to the pro tour, and most importantly, to remarkable careers as doctors, lawyers, financial professionals and coaches. Most recently, Tristan Bradley, from our 2017 team, playing for Bowdoin (Maine), won the 2024 NCAA Division 3 singles championships and was named "Senior of the Year." 

Click here to listen to a podcast featuring Dr. Martin Vinokur, founder of Tennis: Europe podcast on Lisa Stone's "Parenting Aces" tennis blog. The podcast features a summer 2024 participant and his mother talking about the values of Tennis: Europe for the family. There are lots of interesting "insights" for OTA families and coaches. 

For details, contact Dr. Martin Vinokur at: info@tenniseurope.com or phone: 00-1-203-322-9803. 

Silent Partner Sunshine Swing Special Starts March 1

Up to 25% off All Silent Partner Machines! 

With over two decades of excellence, Silent Partner has been the go-to choice for tennis enthusiasts and professionals seeking the ultimate training partner. Known for its impressive ball speed, Silent Partner offers the perfect opportunity to refine your skills and up your game. Proudly Canadian! Visit www.sptennis.ca to learn more and place your order starting March 1st! 

A Marketplace for Everything Tennis

Whether you’re pro advertising your coaching services, a company wanting to reach the tennis enthusiast, a club looking for new members or you just want to sell some old wooden tennis racquets – you can reach over 15,000 tennis players in Ontario each week via our weekly newsletter SPIN, with an ad in the OTA Marketplace section. Listings and pictures are only $125 per week and all we need is a horizontal image like the one above (500 pixels deep X 800 pixels wide) and a couple of paragraphs. We’ll do the rest! Need creative help? We offer creative services at a reasonable cost. For more info, email pmalcomson@tennisontario.com. Include “OTA Marketplace" in the Subject line.