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TENERIFE CHALLENGER 2, THE ENTRY LIST REVEALED

TENERIFE CHALLENGER 2, THE ENTRY LIST REVEALED

FROM GIGANTE TO PASSARO, MANY ITALIANS ON THE ISLAND

THERE IS ALSO DE JONG, SINNER’S OPPONENT IN AUSTRALIA

 

Tenerife, 30 January 2024 – The names that will be part of the Tenerife Challenger 2 have been made official. Having archived the first appointment in January, MEF Tennis Events is ready to double with the two ATP Challenger 75 tournaments which will take place on the Canary island between 18 February and March 3. The Hungarian Zsombor Piros, number 129 ATP, leads the entry list where five Italian tennis players appear. Among these Matteo Gigante, champion in 2023 of one of the events staged at the Abama Tennis Academy, as well as fresh winner of the Nonthaburi 3 Challenger (Thailand). Also present at the starting line is the former ATP number 40 Ilya Ivashka, as well as the promising Daniel Rincón (athlete of the Rafa Nadal Academy) and the Dutchman Jesper De Jong, recently Jannik Sinner’s opponent at the Australian Open. Tenerife Tourism and the Canary Islands therefore continue to focus on sport, and in particular tennis, to help promote an island with an optimal climate, which makes hospitality one of its strong points.

Gigante and Travaglia dream of an encore – One year after challenging each other in the final act of Tenerife Challenger 3, Matteo Gigante and Stefano Travaglia will return to the island as protagonists. The Roman born in 2002 has already left his mark on the hard courts of the Abama Tennis Academy and, thanks to his ATP ranking of number 155, he will be seeded. Despite the defeat in the final, the memories of the Canaries are probably even sweeter for Stefano Travaglia. The tennis player at the Enjoy Sporting Club of Rome, former ATP number 60, got his career back in motion with the result in Tenerife and since then he has climbed more than 200 positions in the world rankings which currently sees him at number 201. The tricolor troop is completed with Franco Agamemenone, Alessandro Giannessi and Francesco Passaro. The spotlight will be on the latter, who a year ago found himself one step away from the Top 100 before suffering from a series of physical problems that prevented him from experiencing the past season to the fullest of his possibilities. Tenerife could be the right springboard to get back on top.

De Jong, from Sinner to Tenerife – Among the players ready to battle in the Tenerife Challenger 2, the name of Jesper de Jong stands out. The Dutchman born in 2000 should lead the lower part of the draw as the number two seed, trying to give continuity to the excellent period that saw him play three Challenger finals in 2023 (the last one won against Benjamin Hassan in Grodzisk Mazowiecki), as well as reaching the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open starting from the qualifiers. In Melbourne, the current ATP number 139 defeated Pedro Cachin (world no. 74) in the first round before crashing into the wall erected by Jannik Sinner, capable of defeating him 6-2 6-2 6-2 on his way towards the first Slam of his career. The first seed will be Zsombor Piros, already winner of four titles in the cadet circuit. The twenty-four-year-old Hungarian, protagonist in the Davis Cup with his national team, will try a new assault on the Top 100 after failing to achieve his goal at the end of last season. Major circuit mission also for the former world number 40 Ilya Ivashka, who at 29 years old may have all it takes to return to the top. The Belarusian boasts Winston Salem’s ATP 250 title in his palmares, as well as highly prestigious scalps such as those of Alexander Zverev, Stanislas Wawrinka, Hubert Hurkacz and Lorenzo Musetti. There will be no shortage of home players, already three waiting for possible wild cards. Pablo Llamas Ruiz, seeded number four, will try to improve on the quarter-finals reached in the first of the three Challengers organized by MEF Tennis Events in the Canary Islands. Behind him also present Daniel Rincon, athlete of the Rafa Nadal Academy and winner of the 2021 US Open Junior, as well as the current ATP n.221 Alejandro Moro Canas.

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TENERIFE IS BACK. THREE CHALLENGER TOURNAMENTS ANNOUNCED

ALCARAZ: “GREAT PLACE. THE LEVEL WILL BE HIGH”

MARCHESINI: “A RETURN WANTED BY THE PLAYERS”

 

Tenerife, 22 November 2022 – Professional tennis is ready to return to Tenerife. After hosting a WTA 250 and an ATP Challenger event in 2021, the island is back in the spotlight with three tournaments in the early season calendar. MEF Tennis Events consolidates the relationship with the Canary Islands and with the Abama Tennis Academy, which will be the stage of the events. An ATP Challenger 100 will be played on the outdoor hard courts of the renowned facility from 15 to 22 January, while two ATP Challenger 75 will be played from 29 January to 5 February and from 5 to 12 February. The events were presented at the press conference held at the Abama Resort Tenerife, with the number 1 in the world Carlos Alcaraz among the speakers. The announcement of the tournaments is great news for players who, mindful of last season’s success, have been anxiously awaiting Tenerife’s return to the calendar.

 

Alcaraz: “I have great memories of the ATP Challenger circuit” – “I have very good memories of my time in the Challenger Tour and I believe there is no better place for players to compete than Tenerife: the setting is stunning.” There is no doubt for the world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who among his appearances on the ATP Challenger Tour also recalled those in the tournaments in Todi and Gran Canaria in 2020 and 2021, when he was graced with wild cards from MEF Tennis Events. “This is my first time in Tenerife and I was positively surprised, the people are welcoming and the scenery beautiful – the impression of Alcaraz, who chose the island to rest and start recovering from the abdominal injury that prevented him from playing Nitto ATP Finals and Davis Cup -. These days I have been resting. Of course I’m looking forward to getting back on the court, but it’s important to be able to take moments to disconnect at the end of a very long season. I am going to the gym now, but without overdoing it.” During his enforced absence from the tennis courts, the Spanish prodigy has therefore had time to devote his passion for golf on the Abama Golf: “I really enjoy playing and when I can I take time for Golf. Competition with Nadal? I am absolutely not at his level, to get there I need years and a lot of training.”

 

 

Marchesini: “Abama Tennis Academy, a unique location” – The announcement of three tournaments is of course a great satisfaction for Marcello Marchesini, president of MEF Tennis Events: “During last season so many players asked us if we would be able to reorganize the tournaments in Tenerife, this is a testament to the great work done and the beautiful venue. We will play again at the Abama Tennis Academy, a unique place that boasts a Center Court overlooking the ocean.” Among the press conference speakers is proudly attending Carlos Alcaraz, who in his carrer has also participated to MEF Tennis Events tournaments, in fact in 2020 he was the protagonist in Todi and Gran Canaria tournaments: “Announcing these tournaments in the presence of Carlos is a great pleasure and is a confirmation of the importance of the ATP Challenger tour, which in terms of quality of players is close to the major circuit. Alcaraz himself is proof of this. In just over a year Carlos won ATP Challengers to triumphing at the US Open.” Therefore, the anticipation for the start of the new season is growing with the three tournaments that will showcase the island: “For a month Tenerife will be the beating heart of international professional tennis. We thank the Cabildo de Tenerife, Turismo de Tenerife, Real Federación Española, ATP, Ayuntamiento Guía de Isora, Abama Resort management, Federación Insular de Tenis de Tenerife and Federación Canaria de Tenis for the esteem and support they will give to the events.”

 

Brendan Breen’s joy – On a special day for the Abama Tennis Academy, the words of Abama Tennis and Abama Golf director Brendan Breen could not be missed: “For me it is a pride to be here with world number one Carlos Alcaraz. The Abama Resort Tenerife has invested in the facilities to be recognized more and more as an excellence. This is also why the ATP and MEF Tennis Events have once again placed their trust in us by awarding us three ATP Challenger tournaments in 2023. Our goal is to continue to host great events in the future and to do better and better,” remarked the director, who with MEF Tennis Events in 2021 has already taken away the satisfaction of having organized what was awarded as the best WTA 250 of the season. Along with him and Carlos Alcaraz, Pedro Martin, president of the Tenerife Cabildo, and Josefa Mesa, mayor of Guía de Isora, also spoke at the conference.

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