Valérie Tétreault has accomplished just about everything there is to achieve in tennis, both on the court and off. Her run as a player propelled her to Grand Slam appearances and a career-best WTA ranking of no. 112. It also prepared her for the many roles she’s held within the sport since hanging up her racquet.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day and the release of the Game. Set. Equity. (GSE) Impact Report, Tétreault reflected on breaking glass ceilings as the first woman to serve as Tournament Director of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal.
READ: Q and A: NBO Montreal Tournament Director Valérie Tétreault on Keys, Halep, and Planning for a 12-Day Format
Speaking of the NBO, the tournament will offer equal prize money beginning in 2027 and the expansion to a 12-day model will see an increase in prize money for women’s players from 2025 onwards. As a former player, this topic is of particular importance to Tétreault considering that her inability make a like living playing the sport she loved was one of the reasons she retired in her twenties.
“At the time, I felt that if I really wanted to make a living from my sport, I had to be in the world’s Top 50,” Tétreault explained. “So, the question I asked myself was do I think I have the potential to be in the world’s Top 50? And when the answer to yourself is no, it comes with a tough decision. I hope that in the coming years, there will be more young girls who can dream of making a living playing tennis, and frankly, it’s already a big step forward if these girls are who are now no. 100 in the world don’t have to ask themselves the same questions that I had to ask myself.”
According to the GSE Impact Report, Tennis Canada has surpassed its gender parity baseline for its Senior Management Team, a number that Tétreault is glad to be part of for the time being.
“I’ve always told myself that if I didn’t have the skills, I wouldn’t be in this job in the first place, Tétreault said. “And, if today we have to talk about quotas so that later when my daughters are on the job market, we don’t have to talk about it, well you know what? So be it. I’m happy to be part of the quota for now.”
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But that’s not the only way Tétreault is inspiring the next generation, even though she’s understandably reluctant to associate her achievements to anything bigger than herself. Before rising to the top ranks at Tennis Canada, she was one of the first women to do tennis colour commentary at TVA Sports. She initially was only on the air during WTA tournaments but fought successfully to have ATP commentary added to her contract as well.
Today, she is not only Tennis Canada’s Vice-President of Communications and the first woman to assume the position of Tournament Director for Montreal’s National Bank Open, but she is also the only woman to currently lead an ATP Masters 1000 event. While being part of the quota can contribute to occasional feelings of self-doubt and questions about her own value, she is the first to point out that progress hasn’t happened quickly enough and that inspiring others to follow in her footsteps will only continue to move the gender equity in the right direction.
“When I think back to my situation when I was younger, I know that sometimes just having other women in these positions can open doors, so I say to myself, all the better if I can pave the way, even if it’s just for one girl,” Tétreault said.
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