A swing of the racquet or the sound of an ace will not drown out the cries of mothers weeping for their dead children.
The last few months have seen unprecedented excitement and winnings from Canadian Tennis players.
On Aug. 7, Victoria Mboko won the National Bank Open in Montreal, Leyla Fernandez won the Citi DC Open title in July, and Felix Auger-Aliassime made it to the semifinals of the U.S Open last week.
There have been moments of unbridled joy (in the form of Fernandes and her doubles partner, Venus Williams) and there is much to look forward to with the potential for drawing in new fans and supporters of the sport.
In the background of this excitement, the Davis Cup — known for being a global tournament that amplifies team tennis — there is upheaval and resistance.
The Davis Cup is being hosted by Tennis Canada in Halifax, N.S. and Canada will face Israel in a tie on September 12 and 13 in a closed venue with no spectators. The games will be broadcast, but the players will be in a stadium reminiscent of peak COVID-19 times: empty.
This decision was made in conjunction with the ITF to ensure safety after they received information and “intelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies.” However, according to a CBC news report, the Halifax Regional Police were not one of the entities or “local authorities” that Tennis Canada referred to in regards to safety and security intel.
The community in Halifax has been protesting and will continue to voice concerns. There are planned protests throughout the duration of the Davis Cup. The municipality has also cancelled $50,000 of funding towards the event. According to a city spokesperson, because the event is behind closed doors, the Davis Cup no longer offers “the tourism, economic and other benefits that would have been expected had it proceeded as originally planned.” (more...)
Davis Cup: Tournament or Sportswashing Debacle?
Nelson Mandela and his comrades were imprisoned for resisting apartheid. The world rose in solidarity.
— Movement Media Hub (@movingthemedia) September 10, 2025
Today, human rights activists, including his grandson @nkoszwelivelile call on the world to keep rising for 🇵🇸 & for @TennisCanada to boycott the @Daviscup game against🇮🇱. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Ae0AQb8dPy
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