There are less than two months until the grass courts of the Mallorca Country Club host the first edition of the ATP Mallorca Championships. A category event ATP 250 And that the tennis players will take advantage of to finalize their set-up for the third Grand Slam of the season since it is part of the so-called 'road to Wimbledon'.
Today the tournament was officially presented in the historic building of 'La Misericòrdia'. All the authorities have attended on behalf of the institutions that support the event as official collaborators, as well as the director of the Mallorca Championships, Toni Nadal, and Edwin Weindorfer, CEO and founder of e | motion group -promoter of the tournament-, to talk about all the news of this new ATP event in Spain.
Kyrgios, Verdasco and López, confirmed
Nick Kyrgios, the 'bad boy' of the ATP circuit, will be one of the great attractions of the tournament. With Kyrgios on track, the show is assured. But the Australian also stands out for its quality. Few tennis players can boast of never having lost against the current world number one, Serbian Novak Djokovic (his H2H is 2-0 in favor of the Aussie). He also accumulates victories against the best tennis players in the recent history of this sport such as Nadal, Federer or Murray, so his quality on the court is undeniable.
This is also how Toni Nadal, tournament director, sees it: “Nick is a star on the ATP circuit. Without a doubt, after the 'Big3', he is one of the greatest exponents of world tennis, being the player most followed by the younger generations. He is a great player who, in addition, gives a lot of show on the court and, therefore, that Nick has committed to playing the Mallorca Championships is very important news for us. I hope that his presence at the tournament will encourage many people to come to Santa Ponça to follow him. “
In addition to the Australian, they will also be in Mallorca in June two Spanish tennis legends and great grass specialists such as Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano López. With 7 individual titles each, both also have great recent results on grass. López claimed the title of the last edition of the Queen's ATP500, while Verdasco reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals also in 2019.
With an audience in the stands and night sessions
One of the great news for all tennis fans is that there will be a public presence in the stands. The health authorities have authorized up to 1,500 attendees per day. Tickets, as announced by Toni Nadal, will go on sale next week.
The organization, which took advantage of the occasion to announce a first group of important confirmed sponsors made up of Rakuten, Orange, Engel & Völkers, Banca March, Melia Hotels & Resorts and Quirón Salud, presented another of the great novelties that it will offer in June and that never it had been seen in an event on grass: the inclusion of night sessions with artificial light thanks to a special treatment that is given to the grass of its tracks.
A totally renovated club for an event that combines tennis and lifestyle
The Mallorca Championships will be one of the few tournaments on the ATP circuit to be held on the premises of a social club. In the words of Edwin Weindorfer, CEO and founder of e | motion group: “The Mallorca Country Club will be the home that will host the Mallorca Championships permanently. We have made a large investment to completely renovate all the facilities and turn them into a club that opens throughout the year and can host different events. After the tournament, we will do a small soft opening and it will be completely ready to open its doors to the public towards the end of summer“.
Also the mayor of Calvià, Alfonso Rodríguez, wanted to express his satisfaction with what the club can mean for his municipality: “For us the achievement and consolidation of the Mallorca Country Club is very important, which, together with the Mallorca Championships, form a project for the whole year, with different events and, above all, of social consolidation that will serve to de-season tourism in the municipality of Calvià“.
Unanimous support from all the institutions of the Balearic Islands
Both the Government of the Balearic Islands, the Consell de Mallorca and the Calvià City Council have staged the union of all the institutions in today's act in support of the Mallorca Championships. Without a doubt, it will be an event that will serve to launch the message of a safe Mallorca to international tourism and that, in addition, will function as a catalyst for the local economy.
In the words of the President of the Consell de Mallorca, Catalina Cladera: “We are very grateful to the e | motion group for organizing this tournament since from the Consell we are committed to this type of event as a key element to de-seasonalize and reactivate the economy and to put Mallorca on the world map. Our island has all the characteristics such as climate, infrastructures, connections … to be a leading destination in the sports and quality tourism sector “.
Also from the Government they have wanted to praise the commitment of the Mallorca Championships with sustainability. In the words of Xisco Mateu, director of the Strategic Tourism Agency of the Balearic Islands: “The future of our islands depends on sustainability and I know of the great effort and commitment that this event has with the sustainability objectives and the 2030 Agenda. Without a doubt It is a very important bet that we are making from the Government of the Balearic Islands to reposition our tourism in this direction “.
The link to Wimbledon, stronger than ever
Sally Bolton, Executive Director of the AELTC, wanted to send a message of support for the tournament: “The All England Club is delighted that preparations for the ATP Mallorca Championships are well advanced and that, with strong government support, the tournament will take place as planned in June.. Tennis fans eagerly await the opportunity to see the world's best players on the grass again. Creating opportunities for practice and competition on quality grass courts as part of a strong grass season in the run-up to Wimbledon is a priority for us and we have worked closely with our e | motion sports partners for several years. to achieve this shared vision. “