The Aviva Centre, formerly the Rexall Centre, is a tennis stadium located right in North York. It’s fairly large and hosts many events, not just tennis. If you’re looking to explore a little something different while you’re visiting North York, then 1 Shoreham Drive should be added to your list so you can visit the Aviva Centre.
A little history
This venue was built in 2004 and was initially named the Rexall Centre. It was renamed The Aviva Centre in 2015, with a maximum capacity of 12,500 spectators. This venue is the largest stadium for a tennis complex, and is located on the grounds of York University in North York.
The stadium was built to replace the existing tennis centre, The National Tennis Centre. It was officially opened on July 26, 2004
Professional events
This venue is home to the Rogers Cup each year, which is a professional tournament on the ATP World Tour and WTA Circuits. The Aviva Centre hosts the men’s tournament on even-numbered years and then the women’s tournament on odd-numbered years. Additionally, this facility serves as a year round training venue for tennis players.
The facility is also one of two venues selected to host the Canadian Open, and
is occasionally used to host musical events or concerts when there isn’t a
tennis event happening.
The facility
When visiting here, there are 16 tennis courts within the centre, 8 of which are located indoors so they aren’t affected by any inclement weather Canada may experience in the off season. These courts are used for national and provincial training, and all courts are used for players to perfect their sport in-between tournaments.
The centre also offers discounted court fees to York University students during the academic year to encourage regular exercise and make sure students can access facilities as needed. All of the courts in this facility use Deco Turf, cushioned acrylic surface which is the same as surface used at the US Grand Slam event. When watching an event, there are 2 party suites and 39 executive suites to accommodate larger groups of people who want their whole group to be together or just enjoy the event in style.
Tennis Canada
The Aviva Centre is home to the Toronto-based offices of Tennis Canada, and the Ontario Tennis Association. It’s is great having the professional associations close to the grounds where the sport is actually played so they can fully enjoy everything tennis, all the time.
The Aviva Centre is a beautiful facility that almost anyone can enjoy. Even if tennis isn’t exactly your thing, taking in a match here will probably change your mind. Whether you prefer a covered stadium so you aren’t sitting in the glaring sun, or you maybe enjoy getting some sun while you take in some professional tennis this centre has both to offer. What’s even better about this is that for those who play tennis – or even want to try – there’s training facilities offered so that you can play where the professionals play. An afternoon of training here would be a great way to spend some of your time in North York.
Learn more about North York Ontario.
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