The second edition of Catalonia Open WTA 125 It will be held from April 29 to May 5, 2024 at Lleida Tennis Clubto take over from Reus Monterols to continue to grow with the ambition of becoming a 250 category tournament from 2026.
The second edition of the Catalonia Open, promoted by the Catalan Tennis Federation, was presented this Thursday along with the other WTA 125 held in Catalonia, the Solgirones International Women’s Open, organized by Tenis La Bisbal since 2016 and next year will be played from April 1 to 7.
They attended the event Jordi Tamayo, president of the Catalan Tennis Federation; Aleix Villatoro, director of the Catalan Sports Council; Jose Luis Solanspresident of the Lleida Tennis Club; Oscar Martinez, Sports Deputy of the Provincial Council of Lleida; and Xavier Ponseti, president of La Bisbal Tennis Club.
Also the new director of the Catalonia Open, Neus Avilawho confirmed to EFE that the purpose of the tournament is to “bring together these three years of the WTA license” to ask for “an increase in financial resources” at the next stage and thus become a WTA 250.
Spain currently has four professional women’s tennis tournaments: the Mutua Madrid Open, the Catalonia Open, La Bisbal and Valencia, the last three in the 125 category.
“If the jump is made after these three years, it must be done well,” insisted Ávila, convinced that the tournament sponsored by the Catalan Federation must aim “to consolidate itself as the best WTA tournament in Spain after of Master 1,000 in Madrid “.
Today, the Catalonia Open continues its itinerant vocation and changing scenes to be held, after the first year in Reus, in CT Lleida, a club with extensive organizational experience, which has already hosted the Davis Cup and of the Copa Federation.
“The main purpose of the tournament is to promote women’s professional tennis. Provide facilities for our players to make it easier for them to climb the ranks, that they have tournaments with large financial resources close to house and that, from there, the tournament will go to different places in Catalonia,” recalls its director.
However, the Catalonia Open could have a fixed venue if it moves up in category in the future, something Neus Ávila prefers not to think about.
“For now, we will have a great tournament in 2024,” said Ávila, recalling that the fact that this second edition will be held in the second week of the Mutua Madrid Open is good news for the organization.
“The location of LLeida and the week of the tournament is amazing, because there are players who have expectations of being in Madrid in the second week that, if things don’t go well for them, knowing that they have our tournament that only an hour and a half away by train,” explained Ávila, recalling that the WTA allows 125 category tournaments to invite two top-50 players.
Source: La Verdad
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