Travelling to see Tennis: NBOpen Montreal

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National Bank Open presented by Rogers – Montreal

The National Bank Open site in Montreal is a relatively new site as tournaments go.  Tennis Canada developed the site in order to provide professional tennis to both men and women at the same time. 

Hence the National Bank Open presented by Rogers alternates their men’s and women’s events each year between Montreal and Toronto.  For example this year 2024, the men’s ATP 1000 event was held in Montreal and the women’s 1000 event was held in Toronto.

When is the National Bank Open?

The tournament is traditionally held the first week of August every year.  There is a caveat around this statement as in Olympic year those dates can shift to accommodate the Olympic tennis tournament.

For example, this year, 2024, the dates were pushed back a day. While qualifying was played on the first Saturday and Sunday, much of the main draw did not start until Tuesday.  Plus, the finals were not played until the following Monday. 

Another note for future NBO’s is that all 1000-level tournaments will become 12 day tournaments starting in 2025.  So when planning your trip make sure you line up the dates you are visiting Toronto or Montreal, align with the days of the tournament you want to attend.

What is the History of the National Bank Open?

Briefly, the National Bank Open, previously known as the Canadian Open, is one of the oldest tennis tournaments.  It is second only to Wimbledon!

Men’s play started in 1881 while the women soon followed in 1892.  Many legendary players have played and won the tournament over the years.  Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Andre Agassi, and Ivan Lendl just to name a few.

Where is the National Bank Open Played in Montreal?

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If you are a true sports buff, when I throw out the name of a Major League Baseball team called the Montreal Expos.  They were Canada’s first professional baseball team in the National League as we know it today.

But much to the chagrin of many Canadian baseball fans the team packed up vacated their stadium and moved to Washington D.C.  in the early 1990s. 

Their stadium was Jarry Stadium conveniently located in Jarry Park.  It is in the northern part of the island of Montreal. 

Tennis Canada Reconfigured the baseball stadium into two tennis viewing arenas.  The larger is called IGA Stadium holds about 10 to 12,000 people.  The smaller of the two is now Rogers Stadium and it holds about 6,000 people. 

All together, including the stadiums there are 12 tennis courts in the outdoor complex.  Three of which, on top of the stadiums, are used for match play.  The rest are practice courts.  All of which are easy to access.  If you attend the tournament early in the week you are bound to be able to see your favourite player up close and personal.

On top of that the park surrounding the tennis has just about everything you would want to spend a relaxing summer’s day.  There is a public pool.  There are fountains, playgrounds, sports fields, picnic areas. 

The walk from the Metro to the tennis grounds is a serene and pastoral one that I find relaxing and beautiful.

What Hotels are Near Jarry Park – NBOpen Montreal

Here readers, I will make a confession.  When in Montreal for the tournament, my choice is to stay downtown in the core of the city. 

So I have not stayed at any of the hotels in the vicinity.  However, this year in chatting with a few out of town visitors who were staying in the area, they found prices reasonable and the accommodations okay.  (None of them raved about their place but our chats were short so I wasn’t able to do deeper dives).

That said there are quite a few restaurants and coffee shops listed in the area around the park that sometime in the future I will check out.

Here are some of the locations/listings in the area around the park:

Hotels in Downtown Montreal

On account of the downtown location, you will pay a premium for one of the hotels in the core.  On the other hand, you will be closer to the “action” so to speak. 

One should also be aware that the week of the NBOpen generally coincides with Montreal Fierite festival.  In other words, this is Montreal’s Gay Pride week.  If you are staying through the second weekend of the tournament, you will more than likely see a significant jump in price for Friday, Saturday and Sunday stays.

Here is a map of hotels etc in the downtown core of Montreal.  My favourite stays are at Fairfield Inn, Hyatt Place or 2170 Hotel.   (Check out my blog posts for reviews on these hotels).

Getting To and From NBOpen Montreal

Second confession, I have never used any other mode of transportation to get to the park except public transportation.

The two Metro stations closest to the entrance are Parc and De Castelnau.  The walk from De Castelnau being a bit further but much more scenic as it transverses much of the park. 

Here I will throw out some advise to my more senior readers who may have knee or hip issues.  If you have read some my other posts on Montreal Metro, you will know that much of the system was built in the sixties and seventies when easy accessibility was not considered. 

You will find that you will have to climb several flights of stairs no matter which route you take.  It amuses me that there are escalators part of the way up but not all the way!

An alternative for you would be to take the 55 St Laurent bus from the core up.  It is much more accessible and a little more scenic.

I priced out some ride shares and if that would be your preference, it seems from the downtown region the average cost was around $50.00.  This was done outside of the tournament week. So please do be surprised if that price gets surged during peak end of day hours.

What to Do in Montreal When Not at the Tennis?

Summer in Montreal is one of the best seasons.  It is the season when Canadians come out to play, to enjoy patios, to dance in the streets. 

You will find tons to do away from the courts;  check out my post on summers in Montreal here:

What to do in Montreal?

Travel Between Toronto and Montreal

Another option for you is to spend part of the week in Toronto then the later part of the week in Montreal (or vice versa). 

Travel between the two cities is quick and easy.  On average, it is about a 1-hour flight.  However, your total transit time can be much longer.  Getting to and from airports is a chore in and of itself.  Check out using the widget below flights and costs from YUL to YYZ

As a regular traveler, I don’t have to tell you that checking in and security lines can add another one to two hours.  That said it can be a 3-to-4-hour journey.

My suggestion if you schedule allows it would be to book your transition between the cities using Via Rail.  The downtown-to-downtown service cuts the transit from airports to downtown out.  You can see some beautiful Canadian scenery in comfort.  If you can afford the upgrade to Via One Business class, I highly recommend it.  Follow the link here to book with Via Rail.

Things to Know in General – FAQs on Pro Tennis Tournaments

For those of you who are looking to attend your first professional tournament or attend infrequently, I have put together some FAQs on questions I get asked a lot:

If I buy tickets to the finals who will I see (can I guarantee my favourite player will play the final)?

There is no guarantee on who you will see in the final if you buy tickets for the finals.  That is the nature of sport; that is why you play the games.  On any given day any player could beat a higher ranked player.

On top of that, players could withdraw due to sickness or injury at any time.

I personally like to get tickets for early in the week.  That way most players are still in the tournament and even if you don’t get so see one of their matches, there is a possibility that you can see them on one of the practice courts.  Toronto and Montreal are very good for posting who is practicing where and when.

Check below for ticket availability….they usually go on sale in the spring before the tournie:

You can also get tickets through Tennis Canada’s Website Here!

What happens if it rains, will I get refunded?

If you wake up in the morning and it is raining, I would still gather up my umbrella and rain suit then head up to the courts.

If you read the back of your ticket or the “terms of sale”, you will find that there is no refund if any match is completed during the session for which you have paid.  So as an example, you’ve bought a ticket for a day session.  It’s drizzling a bit.  The tournament management will do everything possible to complete a match on any court during the daytime session as determined by their policy.  Hence no refunds will be made.

But if by some reason it rains all day and there is no way they can get on court, you will be offered a ticket for the same session the following year.  In twenty plus years of attending this has happened to me once.

Can I bring my own food and drinks?

Short answer no.  You will be searched upon entry.  If you are discretely bringing in some small food stuffs, they might let you go.  But I wouldn’t try bringing in a picnic lunch.

My final statement is you might be better off heading off site to get food.  There are some restaurants in the vicinity around the park. But make sure you review with gate staff the re-entry policy.  You will probably need a hand stamp or the like. 

Also this year, they had various food trucks set up on the grounds with added some much needed variety to the food available.

And to be honest, the food quality varies from year to year as vendors come and go.

Conclusion

I personally find the Montreal tournament a little more enjoyable than Toronto.  That opinion is based on the size of the sites. Montreal’s grounds are more expansive than Toronto’s.  Therefore, even on large crowd days you don’t feel squished in. 

Montreal is like visiting a European city with its French flair. But at less expense than flying to Europe. 

That all said, I love the Toronto and Montreal tournaments. They are great to attend by yourself or with family and friends or even a group from your racquet club.  Check out the tennis and then have fun in the city!.

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Please note: the opinions expressed in this post should never be construed as advice. The thoughts are based on my experiences and those of my friends and family. Whether traveling, exercising or other activity it is always a matter of personal preference.  Find what you like and enjoy and share if you want with us all!
Also: If considering a change in diet, exercise, nutrition and or supplements, you must consult your medical practitioner to make sure that what you are about to embark upon doesn’t interfere with your current treatments.