A defining international experience for Quebec's next generation
As part of the 2025 Florida Tour, Tennis Québec accompanied a delegation of young players selected to represent Quebec on the international stage, notably at the prestigious Orange Bowl, one of the most renowned junior tournaments in the world.
In addition to their participation in the Orange Bowl, the athletes took part in several preparatory tournaments, including a DETA tournament and two Casely tournaments, allowing them to adapt to the playing conditions, the level of intensity and the diversity of styles encountered in international tournaments.
For several participants, this was their first international experience, with the objectives of developing their autonomy, their sporting and personal maturity, while competing against opponents from several countries.
A structured preparation
Upon their arrival in Florida, the players embarked on a series of daily training sessions, combining tactical, psychological, and physical conditioning work. Team meetings and individualized feedback sessions also provided guidance throughout the tour and prepared the young athletes for the various competitions.
Results
DETA Tournament
Boys U12
- All-Quebec final: Zalic Tremblay wins the final against Charles Leclerc in three sets.
- Noah Coelho Pereira reached the quarter-finals, narrowly losing 12-14 in the super tiebreaker .
Girls U12
- Nadine Belmabrouk wins the final against a player from Bosnia.
- Alexane Deschêne reaches the semi-finals.
- Valesca Calabrese reaches the consolation semi-final.
Boys U14
- Julien Gagnon lost in the quarter-finals 8-10 in the final set .
- Nolhan Assonzon's run ends in the consolation semi-final.
- Gordon Dankov wins the consolation final.
Girls U14
- Lynn Ke wins the tournament by winning all her matches in a super tiebreaker.
- Elise Chen reaches the semi-finals.
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Lanna Nikolic finished as runner-up in the consolation final.
Qualifications and main draw: Orange Bowl
All the Quebec players managed to qualify for the Orange Bowl, with several then advancing to the main draw, either directly or as lucky losers .
Key points:
- Nadine Belmabrouk finishes one win away from the main draw and obtains a lucky loser status (#5).
- Julien Gagnon ( lucky loser #13) and Lanna Nikolic ( lucky loser #6) also advance to the main draw.
- Lynn Ke and Elise Chen qualify for the main draw .
Main table
At the Orange Bowl, only the U14 girls managed to get into the main draw.
- Elise Chen wins her first round match and advances to the second round.
- Lynn Ke lost in the first round after a hard-fought match.
- Lanna Nikolic , who entered the main draw, lost in the first round against Elise.
Casely's first tournament
Boys U12
Zalic lost in the semi-finals in a super tiebreaker against Noah's opponent from the previous day.
Noah won his semi-final as well as the consolation final. Well done!
Charles won his semi-final. In the final, he faced the player who had successively defeated Noah and Zalic. Charles therefore finished as runner-up in the tournament, in second place.Girls U12
Valesca won the consolation bracket at the Casely tournament.
Alexane reached the semi-finals of the main draw, where she lost to the same player who had beaten Valesca the previous day.Boys U14
Gordon and Nolhan played in the consolation bracket of the Casely tournament. Gordon lost in the quarter-finals. Nolhan won her consolation quarter-final, but her run ended in the semi-finals.
Second Casely tournament
Boys U12:
The three Quebec representatives had a very successful run. Zalic Tremblay and Charles Leclerc both reached the semi-finals of their respective brackets, losing to a Canadian and a Brazilian player, respectively. Noah Coelho Pereira , for his part, reached the final, becoming a runner-up in his very first international tournament —a noteworthy achievement.Girls U12
In the consolation bracket, Nadine Belmabrouk reached the final after three victories, narrowly losing to Masha Campagna (Repentigny) . Valesca Calabrese was eliminated in the consolation semi-finals after a very close match, while Alexane Deschêne was also eliminated in the quarter-finals after a hard-fought game.In the U14 boys' category,
Julien Gagnon had an excellent run, winning the consolation final against a Brazilian player. Nolhan Assonzon reached the consolation final in another bracket, where he lost to a Mexican player. Gordon Dankov finished his tournament in the consolation quarterfinals.Girls U14: Lynn Ke
delivered a superb performance , winning the Casely tournament after a hard-fought match. Elise Chen reached the semi-finals, losing to the eventual finalist, while Lanna Nikolic's run ended in the consolation quarter-finals.A dedicated coaching team
The athletes benefited from the guidance of an experienced and dedicated coaching team, whose involvement played a crucial role in the tour's success and the quality of the experience. Throughout the trip, Sylvie Giroux (Tennis Québec) , Mira Teodorescu (Club de tennis François-Godbout) , Simon Sauvé (Académie de Tennis Momentum) , Vincent Arcaya (Club de tennis Île-des-Sœurs) , and Hervé Musset (Tennis Montréal) supported the players both athletically and personally, providing structured guidance that fostered their development, independence, and adaptation to the context of international competition.