The Open Barcelona Banc Sabadell-Conde de Godó has gone through the same obstacles as most sporting events once the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The economic downturn in many sectors and the recession have not brought down the most emblematic tournament of the city of Barcelona, which has already reached its 68th edition since its launch in 1953. “Continuing to support this tournament is a first step towards the normality of society and the return to human relations of sport and culture, what makes us happy”, commented Josep Oliu, president of Banc Sabadell.
Apart from the participation of its main sponsor, the tournament has the support of Catalan public institutions, such as the Generalitat and the Barcelona City Council, which have always been committed to holding a tournament that puts the city on the map world for a week. The organization has managed to maintain sponsors of other editions, such as Emirates, La Vanguardia, MAPFRE, Cepsa, Estrella Damm, Dunlop, Lacoste and ISDIN; and the media partners RTVE, TV3 and Movistar +, who will be in charge of giving television coverage to the event.
At the same time, it has also added others, a joy for the organizers. An example is Orange, official sponsor of the tournament, CUPRA, with a fleet of 22 plug-in hybrid vehicles that will serve as transport for the players, Font Vella, official water supplier, and Vilarnau, which will be the official cava of the tournament.
On this occasion, and due to security measures due to COVID-19, only a maximum of 1,000 spectators will be able to attend the Royal Tennis Club of Barcelona, which will take away that charm from the tournament in which athletes, celebrities and people from politics and the Catalan and Spanish business sector were seen in their village. The format will now be different in a Gothic atypical.