BARCELONA, 30 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The 69th edition of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell – Conde de Godó Trophy, which will be held from April 16 to 24 on the courts of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899, will have a “historic” investment for the tournament, with two million euros allocated to a technological transformation supported by digitization, sustainability and changes in infrastructure.
At the opening ceremony held this Wednesday in the Saló de Cent of the Barcelona City Council, the CEO of the tournament, Xavier Pujol, highlighted the commitment to become the “best” ATP 500 in the world because they have “a special DNA”, which is sustains a centennial club “rooted” in Catalan society.
“Barcelona will continue to be an ATP 500 tournament, with the vocation to lead it. This year we have the record for ticket sales, although we have not reached the ‘pre-Covid’ income. We want to overcome them because we are in the most important technological transformation process of the time industrial”, explained Pujol, who highlighted the “resilience” of the Godó after not being held in 2020 due to the pandemic and with a capacity of 10 percent in 2021.
The director of the Barcelona tournament, David Ferrer, highlighted the list of tennis players for this edition with 11 ‘Top 20’ players. “It’s one of the best lineups on the tennis circuit,” said the former player from Alicante. Despite the possible loss of Spaniard Rafael Nadal due to injury, the eyes of the public will be on the young Carlos Alcaraz, a mainstay that “excites.”
“It is exciting that the city can see a novelty like Alcaraz. He is a young player with great progress and a good future for tennis in our country,” Ferrer explained about the 18-year-old tennis player’s emergence.
NEWS OF THE TOURNAMENT
One of the novelties of the 69th edition is the creation of the Sub-14 tournament, which has been held in different provinces of Catalonia with the aim of “opening horizons” beyond Barcelona. “It has been a milestone of family celebration where 256 players have participated,” concluded the CEO of the tournament.
The tournament will also continue betting on its sustainability plan. Among the main initiatives of the tournament to take care of the planet, the renewal of sustainable certificates, the reduction of emissions with the use of electric drive vehicles, LED lighting of all the tracks, use of compostable cups, meticulous waste recycling, control daily consumption, promotion of public transport and the use of bicycles or the prohibition of smoking throughout the premises.
And all this will be done in a space that will once again be the main meeting point for doing business. The main business groups in the country will pass through the ‘Hospitality’ of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, making the tournament a stage to close agreements that will propel the city to the top.
“The balance we make of these years of support for the tournament is very positive, since it means reinforcing the Barcelona brand even more, together with a tournament that attracts the best athletes on the circuit”, highlighted Josep Oliu, president of Banco Sabadell .
The event also included the participation of the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau; together with that of the president of the RCTB-1899, Jordi Cambra; the editor-in-chief of the Godó Group, Javier Godó; and the General Secretary for Sports of the Generalitat, Anna Caula.