The Tennis Professionals Association is proud to announce TPA Excellence awards and scholarships recipients for 2024 and 2025. The TPA is pleased to recognize these coaches and facilities’ efforts, accomplishments as well as their dedication to the growth of tennis in Canada.
2024 Coaching Excellence Award: David Cysneiros
High-Performance Head Coach for the Granite Club in Toronto, David has nearly 15 years of coaching experience and has enjoyed great success with his players.
2024 Club Professional Excellence Award: Andy Sutton
Andy has been a Tennis Professional for over 30 years. He is a certified Club Pro 3 which is the highest level of certification offered for Tennis Club Management. Andy also holds a Coach 3 Level Certification from Tennis Canada.
2024 Year-Round Facility Excellence Award: Rideau Sports Centre
Nestled in the heart of downtown Ottawa, Rideau Sports Centre (RSC) stands as a vibrant hub for tennis, fitness and community engagement. Renowned for its welcoming atmosphere, RSC offers a unique blend of athletic facilities and wellness programs, accessible to all without the need for membership. This inclusive approach ensures everyone, from seasoned athletes to casual enthusiasts to those brand new to tennis, can enjoy the premier amenities and services RSC has to offer.
2024 Seasonal Facility Excellence Award: Lakeshore Tennis Club
Regina’s Lakeshore Tennis Club (LTC) is a non-profit member-supported organization that has been in the community since 1915. As a club, they have hosted the 2005 Canada Summer Games. The LTC is secluded within the park’s thick greenery, which provides a uniquely private and pretty touch to their members’ tennis experiences.
2024 Course Facilitator Excellence Award: Nick Coutts
Certified Coach 3 & Club Pro 3, Nick Coutts has been a course facilitator with brio for several years. In addition to training coaches for the Club Professional 2, Coach 2 and Coach 3 courses, Nick is also Tennis Director at the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre in Calgary. Nick embodies the values of Tennis Canada and contributes to the development of the coaching profession in Canada.
2024 Ari Novick Service to the Game Award: Simon Bartram
A past winner of Tennis Canada’s triumvirate of awards—Course Facilitator of the Year, Tennis Professional of the Year, and Coach of the Year—Simon Bartram leads the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club’s tennis operations. Certified as a Coach 4 and Club Pro 3 by Tennis Canada, and a former ATP-ranked competitor, Simon has been a central part of Toronto Lawn Tennis since 1990. With nearly unrivaled experience in all facets of tennis, Simon has coached former WTA players, and is a past recipient of the Tennis Canada Coaching Excellence Award for his work with Daniel Nestor and other members of the Sunshine Cup winning team.
2024 Community Tennis Leadership Award: Mustapha Jamal
Certified Club Pro 3, Mustapha Jamal is the Director of Operations and Head Tennis Professional at the Ancaster Tennis Club. He’s also certified as an ITF White Badge Chair Umpire, and an International Line Umpire, with experience at all four Grand Slam events and the Olympic Games. Mustapha leads a small coaching team of certified TPA professionals which helps him implement a thriving adult and junior programming pathway and programs.
2024 Innovation Award: Edmonton Tennis Community
The Edmonton Tennis Community hosted TENNISfest, a major event designed to engage tennis enthusiasts of all ages. Now established as a key annual event on their promotional calendar, TENNISfest has grown significantly in popularity—drawing over 400 participants in its inaugural edition in 2022 and more than 500 in 2024. Even greater attendance is expected in 2025. This event has played a vital role in uniting stakeholders across the Edmonton tennis ecosystem, fostering collaboration to promote the sport and inspire the next generation of tennis players.
2025 Gary Caron TPA Scholarship: Yurii Kushnir
Certified Coach 2 & Club Pro 2, Yurii is a Tennis Professional at the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre in Calgary. He is now engaged in the Coach 3 certification course. Yurii is a tennis coach from Ukraine with 8 years of coaching experience across variable age ranges and skill levels, he holds a Master’s in physical education teaching and Coaching (Tennis). In his career, he has prepared players for national and regional tournaments in Ukraine.
2025 Rene Simpson-Collins Excellence in Female Coaching Scholarship: Sharon Fichman
A certified Coach 3, Sharon joined the Granite Club in a coaching role, as well as Tennis Canada to coach at the Regional Tennis Centre in Toronto and as a touring coach, travelling internationally with Canada’s top junior players. She was also named captain of the 2024 Junior Bille Jean King Junior Cup team, qualifying for the round robin of the Finals in her first year behind the bench. Her next goal is to complete the Coach 4 certification.
