Six Canadians in the Singles Main Draw at Roland-Garros

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Heidi El Tabakh Qualifies To Play Aleksandra Wozniak in an all-Canadian first round match up

The qualifying rounds are now complete in Paris and the stage is set for the second Grand Slam event of the tennis season with six Canadians competing in the main draw at Roland-Garros.

Heidi El Tabakh (Toronto, ON) was the only Canadian remaining in the final round of qualifying and she earned her spot in the main draw with a  6-7(5), 6-4 et 6-2 win over Camila Giorgi of Italy. El Tabakh is into the Roland-Garros main draw for the second time in her career where she joins her five compatriots who earned direct entry into the singles draws: Frank Dancevic (Niagara Falls ON), Stéphanie Dubois (Laval, QC), Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver, BC), Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON) and Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, QC).

This marks the first time since 1990 that six Canadians have been in the main draw at Roland-Garros. The official draw ceremony was conducted on Friday morning and first round matches will begin on Sunday.

On the women’s side, there will be an all-Canadian first round match up between El Tabakh and Wozniak, who reached the second round in Paris last year before falling to then World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Wozniak has enjoyed considerable success in her career at Roland-Garros including a fourth round showing in 2009. For her part, Dubois will take on Israel’s Shahar Peer. Peer won their only other meeting in 2007.

In the men’s draw, Raonic will attempt to improve on his first round exit last year when he takes on Spaniard Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo. The 21-year-old Canadian, who has a 5-4 record on clay this year, is the tournament’s no. 19 seed.

Meanwhile, Dancevic will make his return to competition against Martin Klizan of Slovakia after missing the last few weeks with a back injury. Lastly, Pospisil, who earned direct entry into the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, will meet Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, champion of the 2011 Granby National Bank Challenger.