Veteran coach Martin Laurendeau has been appointed as the new head of men’s tennis at Tennis Canada, officials announced on Thursday.
The former ATP Tour competitor is transitioning from focusing on individual athletes to spearheading the development of high-performance tennis across Canada.
“I’m truly honored to embrace this new role as the head of men’s tennis with Tennis Canada,” Laurendeau shared in a statement. “Having been a part of this remarkable organization for over three decades and witnessing the evolution of Canadian tennis — from more athletes competing at the professional level to unprecedented achievements by our players and recent triumphs for Team Canada — I’m excited to build upon this momentum.”
At 61, Laurendeau takes over the position from Frank Dancevic, who will remain active as the captain of the Davis Cup team, according to Tennis Canada.
Laurendeau made his debut on the ATP Tour in 1986 and transitioned to coaching in 1994. The Montreal native was appointed Davis Cup captain in 2004, holding the position for 13 successful seasons.
He also served as the Canadian tennis coach at four consecutive Summer Olympics from 2004 to 2016 and has collaborated with prominent Canadian talents such as Daniel Nestor, Denis Shapovalov, and Milos Raonic.
Last season, Laurendeau guided the promising Gabriel Diallo, assisting the young player in breaking into the top 50 of the world rankings.
“We are thrilled to welcome Martin as the head of men’s tennis,” stated Guillaume Marx, Tennis Canada’s vice-president of high performance. “Marty has been instrumental in shaping the future of men’s tennis in our nation, and it’s only fitting that he assumes greater leadership at the national level.”
“We also extend our gratitude to Frank Dancevic for his leadership of the men’s program in recent years and are excited to continue our collaboration with him as the captain of our Davis Cup team.”
Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime currently leads the Canadian contingent in the men’s world rankings, sitting at No. 8. Gabriel Diallo, also hailing from Montreal, follows closely at No. 37, while Denis Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is ranked just behind him.
Liam Draxl from Newmarket, Ont., claims the No. 147 position, and Alexis Galarneau from Laval, Que., stands at No. 209 in the rankings.
