Valérie Tétreault has completed nearly all the things there’s to realize in tennis, each on the courtroom and off. Her run as a participant propelled her to Grand Slam appearances and a career-best WTA rating of no. 112. It additionally ready her for the numerous roles she’s held throughout the sport since hanging up her racquet.
As we have a good time Worldwide Ladies’s Day and the discharge of the Recreation. Set. Fairness. (GSE) Impression Report, Tétreault mirrored on breaking glass ceilings as the primary girl to function Match Director of the Nationwide Financial institution Open offered by Rogers in Montreal.
READ: Q and A: NBO Montreal Match Director Valérie Tétreault on Keys, Halep, and Planning for a 12-Day Format
Talking of the NBO, the match will provide equal prize cash starting in 2027 and the enlargement to a 12-day mannequin will see a rise in prize cash for girls’s gamers from 2025 onwards. As a former participant, this matter is of specific significance to Tétreault contemplating that her lack of ability make a like residing taking part in the game she cherished was one of many causes she retired in her twenties.
“On the time, I felt that if I actually needed to make a residing from my sport, I needed to be on this planet’s Prime 50,” Tétreault defined. “So, the query I requested myself was do I believe I’ve the potential to be on this planet’s Prime 50? And when the reply to your self isn’t any, it comes with a tricky determination. I hope that within the coming years, there can be extra younger ladies who can dream of constructing a residing taking part in tennis, and admittedly, it’s already a giant step ahead if these ladies are who are actually no. 100 on this planet don’t should ask themselves the identical questions that I needed to ask myself.”
In response to the GSE Impression Report, Tennis Canada has surpassed its gender parity baseline for its Senior Administration Staff, a quantity that Tétreault is glad to be a part of in the interim.
“I’ve all the time advised myself that if I didn’t have the abilities, I wouldn’t be on this job within the first place, Tétreault mentioned. “And, if as we speak now we have to speak about quotas in order that later when my daughters are on the job market, we don’t have to speak about it, nicely you understand what? So be it. I’m blissful to be a part of the quota for now.”
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However that’s not the one approach Tétreault is inspiring the following era, though she’s understandably reluctant to affiliate her achievements to something larger than herself. Earlier than rising to the highest ranks at Tennis Canada, she was one of many first ladies to do tennis color commentary at TVA Sports activities. She initially was solely on the air throughout WTA tournaments however fought efficiently to have ATP commentary added to her contract as nicely.
Right this moment, she shouldn’t be solely Tennis Canada’s Vice-President of Communications and the primary girl to imagine the place of Match Director for Montreal’s Nationwide Financial institution Open, however she can be the one girl to at present lead an ATP Masters 1000 occasion. Whereas being a part of the quota can contribute to occasional emotions of self-doubt and questions on her personal worth, she is the primary to level out that progress hasn’t occurred rapidly sufficient and that inspiring others to observe in her footsteps will solely proceed to maneuver the gender fairness in the precise route.
“After I assume again to my scenario after I was youthful, I do know that typically simply having different ladies in these positions can open doorways, so I say to myself, all the higher if I can pave the way in which, even when it’s only for one woman,” Tétreault mentioned.
