The Juan Carlos Academy Tournament Ferrero-Equelite de Villena, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary, it will take place with the public following the strictest security protocols and hygiene, As announced on Tuesday by the organizers of the event during its presentation.
The competition, which will take place from July 29 to August 2, will gather tennis players like Pablo Carreño, former number 10 of the ATP, Carlos Alcaraz, Mario Vilella or Alejandro Davidovich, in addition to Australia's number one, Alex de Miñaur, and Portugal, the Portuguese Joao Sousa, so it will be the first international tennis tournament in Spain after the health alert by COVID19.
The president of the Valencian Community Tennis Federation (FTCV), Antonio Martínez Cascales, pointed out during the presentation that the tournament will be played with a 40% of the capacity of the slopes, despite the fact that it can reach 70%, and with all the preventive measures, such as taking the temperature at the entrance and the safety distance between spectators.
In this sense, Cascales recalled that the club already has experience in preventive sanitary measures, since during the months of Confinement the academy continued to have its students inside. For his part, Ferrero recalled that this is the first tournament international after Covid and highlighted the need to compete again “why it allows us to keep moving forward “and he hoped that” people will once again enjoy tennis in the Community “.
Sports deputy, Bernabé Cano, thanked that events of this level “help promote our province from the tourist and sports point of view, generating, in turn, an economic return.” The Mayor of Villena, Fulgencio Cerdá, appreciated that this competition “It will be a before and after in the events organized by the Academy in Villena and will be the finishing touch to its 25th anniversary.”
The tournament, to be played on the fast track and in the league format, It stands out for its solidarity character, since 100% of the cash prizes will be donated to charities. In addition, it will feature an inaugural exhibition match on Wednesday 29, in which the reigning Davis Cup champions, Roberto Bautista and Pablo Carreño, will face the legends of international tennis David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero. The eight matches to be played will be broadcast on the RTVE Teledeporte channel.