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Participation has grown rapidly in a Sarnia tennis tournament organized in memory of Justin Bourassa.
Published Jul 16, 2025 • 2 minute read
A memorial fund has been established in memory of former Sarnia tennis pro Justin Bourassa. HandoutArticle content
Participation has grown rapidly in a Sarnia tennis tournament organized in memory of Justin Bourassa.
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The second annual Love-All: Justin Bourassa Memorial Tennis Tournament runs Friday to Sunday at the Sarnia Tennis Club, 700 Christine St. N.
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About 35 competitors took part in last year’s tournament, said organizer Matt Mueller.
“We’re just building off of that this year,” he said. “We’ve got double the entries” and “higher calibre players. It’s going to be great.”
Competitors attended from London, Waterloo and other parts of the region the first year and the tournament’s atmosphere and “sense of community” generated positive word of mouth drawing interest for the second year, Mueller said.
“They were telling all their friends and family about it,” he said. “It’s got a really good vibe to it.”
Proceeds from the tournament go to Love-All, an endowment created in memory of Bourassa who died in 2021.
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“It gets racquets into kids’ hands that can’t afford it,” Mueller said. “It helps with training costs for instructors to get certified” and “a lot of local programs,” he said. “It’s ultimately to grow the game in Sarnia-Lambton.”
Tennis “totally changed the course of my life,” Mueller said. “It gives people something to do” and gets them “outside and active” all through their lives, he said. “People can be on the courts at three years old and 90 years old.”
Play begins Friday at 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m., with about $6,000 in prizes.
“We’ve got people coming in from the States,” Mueller said. “There’s a guy flying in from Calgary. We’ve got people from Quebec.”
This year’s competitors also include about six current or former Division 1 NCAA Canadian players who have been competing in the U.S., he said.
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“It’s going to be the highest-level tennis that Sarnia has ever seen,” he said. “I’m really stoked for it.”
There’s no cost to watch the weekend’s tennis.
“We’re trying to get a huge turnout,” Mueller said. Spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
Sunday, there will be a silent auction and barbecue spectators can take part in.
“There’s going to be great tennis, all throughout,” he said.
Information about the memorial fund can be found at love-all.ca
Bourassa was a certified instructor, pro and coach at the Sarnia Tennis Club.
“He was the nicest guy ever,” Mueller said. “He genuinely loved tennis and loved growing the game with people of all ages.”
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