Canada Stadium

Canada Stadium forms part of the Israel Tennis Center in Ramat Hasharon, a center that began operating in 1976.[1] The stadium became the home venue for Israel’s Davis Cup and Federation Cup teams and also hosted ATP and WTA competitions.[1] With 4,500 seats, it was described as the country’s largest tennis stadium at the time.[1]

Players who appeared there include Jimmy Connors, Ilie Năstase, Thomas Muster, Brad Gilbert, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.[1] Israeli players associated with the venue include Amos Mansdorf, Shahar Pe’er, Anna Smashnova, Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich.[1]

The impetus for a dedicated stadium arose after Israel’s 1974 Davis Cup tie against Iran in Ramat Gan.[1] Ian Froman recalled that the team had been allocated a court for three days, but the tie extended into a fourth day, when local tennis players refused to leave the court to allow the international matches to finish.[1] The founders subsequently sought a venue with at least 3,000 seats that could accommodate Davis Cup ties and international tournaments.[1]

Toronto-based Jewish donor Joseph Freiberg agreed to contribute after being approached, and other Canadian donors joined the effort.[1] Construction took close to a year.[1] President Ephraim Katzir cut the ribbon at the inauguration on Israel’s 29th Independence Day, in a ceremony attended by the six founders of Israel Tennis Centers and the Canadian donors who financed construction.[1]

The opening exhibition featured Israel’s Shlomo Glickstein and Steve Krulevitz against Canada’s Greg Halder and Dale Power.[1] Amos Mansdorf, an 11-year-old member of the Ramat Hasharon center’s first generation of children, remembered walking to practice beneath the construction scaffolding and collecting balls at the opening match.[1] He later won the Riklis tournament at the stadium in 1987 and played there in Israel’s Davis Cup victory over Switzerland.[1]

Ahead of the 2008 Fed Cup tie against Russia, a stand was added at the southern end of the center court, increasing capacity by 1,000 seats.[2] The court was open to the elements, and rain raised the possibility of relocating the matches to the tennis center in Beer Sheba.[2] Later in 2008, the center’s CEO, Janine Strauss, said that Canada Stadium had hosted Israel’s national teams for 30 years and was due to undergo a major renovation.[3]

In Israel’s 1993 Davis Cup tie against Switzerland, Amos Mansdorf defeated Marc Rosset before Gilad Bloom secured the deciding victory over Jakob Hlasek.[4] Bloom’s match was delayed by rain and took place on the eve of Yom Kippur; admission was free, and spectators filled the stadium.[4] Other ties remembered in a 2016 retrospective included Finland in 2004 and Canada in 2011.[4]

The 2007 tie against Chile helped Israel return to the Davis Cup World Group.[4] Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich defeated Fernando González and Nicolás Massú in a five-set doubles match, and Dudi Sela followed with a five-set victory over González.[4]

In February 2008, the stadium hosted Sweden in a Davis Cup tie in which Israel led 2–1 after two days.[5] Following a rain interruption, Sela defeated Jonas Bjorkman 7–6(8), 6–3, 6–1.[5] The stadium was only half full when Sela’s match began, while the reported attendance was 5,500.[5] Ram praised the spectators’ support: “The energy which they give us is difficult to describe... when you get the momentum from the crowd you feel as if you are flying, it can only happen here.”[5] Israel ultimately lost that tie; a 2017 tally identified Sweden in 2008 and Canada in the 2011 World Group playoffs as its only two defeats in nine ties played at Ramat Hasharon since 2007.[6]

All three matches of Israel’s April 2012 Davis Cup tie against Portugal took place at Canada Stadium.[7] Israel won 3–0, with Sela and Amir Weintraub winning the singles matches and Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram taking the doubles.[7]

In 2016, Israel returned to play Sweden at the stadium after more than four years of playing elsewhere.[4] Once Israel had secured victory, the captains agreed not to play the fifth rubber and instead arranged an exhibition between Yshai Oliel and Sweden’s Markus Eriksson.[8] Oliel, who was not yet 17 and had not been included in Israel’s four-player roster, won 6–4, 6–4; the result did not count as an official-record match.[8]

In 2009, the Israel Tennis Association decided to move the Davis Cup quarterfinal against Russia from Canada Stadium to Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena, prompting a court challenge by the Israel Tennis Center.[9] The court upheld the move on the grounds that the Ramat Hasharon stadium did not meet the requirements for a world-class event.[9] Janine Strauss opposed the decision, maintaining that it was important for the players to compete at Ramat Hasharon.[9]