The home of tennis in St. John's has gotten a facelift, and players say it's a grand slam

The home of provincial tennis in Newfoundland and Labrador has gotten a facelift, and its new courts, dome and facility were opened to the public on Thursday ahead of the Canada Summer Games.

The former Green Belt Tennis Club — now known as the Rogers Tennis Dome at Green Belt due to a $200,000 investment from the telecommunications giant — has expanded from six courts to seven resurfaced ones, along with a new air dome roof and a soon-to-be-completed expanded clubhouse.

The facility opened ahead of the 1977 Canada Games in St. John's, and will host tennis events at the 2025 Games in August.

Gord Breen, president of the St. John's Tennis Association, said the facility changed the game for players in the province — and will continue to do so.

"We created some great tennis players and a great sense of community. And the old dome was tired. And [with] the new dome, we get to do that all over again for another 35, 40 years. So I'm really looking forward to it," Breen said Thursday.

"The sky's the limit. Whatever you want to achieve, it's now possible."

WATCH | Tennis players have a new-look home in St. John's:

Tennis facility upgrades a grand slam ahead of Canada Summer Games

21 days ago

Duration 3:13

Renovation of the former Green Belt Tennis Club, now known as the Rogers Tennis Dome at Green Belt, has been completed ahead of the Canada Summer Games. As the CBC's Jeremy Eaton reports, players young and old say a new facility means the sky is the limit.

Declan Walsh has played on the old courts, but said the new ones bring exciting possibilities. He'll represent Newfoundland and Labrador on his home court at the Games.

"Playing for your province is really something special, and you don't always get to experience it as a tennis player," Walsh, 17, said.

"Having it on home soil, it's going to be a different experience. You've got the home crowd behind you, it's going to be really exciting."

Eva-Lynn Rice, 14, will join Walsh on the courts. Rice is the No. 1-ranked female tennis player in the province, and is eager to step onto the court for her first Canada Games.

"I'm so excited to play in a team event. It's such a great atmosphere to play team events, and I'm honoured to represent Newfoundland.… All my friends will be here, so it will be amazing," she said.

Athletes young and old got to test out the new courts on Thursday, including those who represented the province the last time the courts hosted the Canada Games.

Dennis Martin was one of those athletes, and said a facility like the newly renovated one would have made all the difference in 1977.

"To be able to play 12 months of the year, any time of the day or night, any weather, any wind, it would have been fantastic. So, you know, we would have had 12 months of practice instead of, say, two months of July and August that we normally played," Martin said with a laugh.

He hopes players will be able to have the same chance he had with the new facility in place.

"[I kept] a jersey that I passed on to one of my kids.... They both wanted to learn how to play tennis, and they both wanted to play with dad. And I think they're both going to be, you know, passing it on to their kids."

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