David Marrero

INCREASED PRIZE MONEY AND TWO WEEKS OF GREAT TENNIS
WILD CARDS FOR THE BEST TALENTS FROM THE CANARY ISLANDS

Tenerife, January 2, 2025 – Great tennis returns to the Canary Islands, ready to become the heart of the ATP Challenger circuit for two weeks. From February 2 to 16, the hard courts of the Abama Tennis Academy will be the stage for two ATP Challenger 75 tournaments. MEF Tennis Events enthusiastically confirms its tournaments in Tenerife, a charming place that in recent seasons has made many new promises of the world circuit known. Appreciated by athletes for its climate, its locations, its organization and its infrastructure, Tenerife is once again positioned at the world epicentre of this category, with professionals competing for these trophies and displaying their best tennis. Something that will undoubtedly encourage fans to visit the destination during the winter calendar.
In addition, an increase in prize money is planned for 2025, with $100.000,00 at stake for each event, which will add greater prestige to the two competitions. An agreement has also been sealed between MEF Tennis Events and the Canary Islands Tennis Federation, which will include two wild cards for the best tennis players from the islands to participate. In addition, all members of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation and players from clubs in the archipelago will be able to enjoy a 50% discount on tickets and weekly passes. For the occasion, there will be Kids Days dedicated to the youngest.

The enthusiasm of the Canary Islands Tennis Federation – After 12 ATP Challenger tournaments and 1 WTA 250, awarded in 2021 as the best world tournament in its category, the close alliance between MEF Tennis Events and the Canary Islands continues. This success is a delight for the Canary Islands Tennis Federation, as highlighted by its president, José Sepúlveda: “The initiative carried out by Marcello Marchesini not only benefits the protagonists on the court, but also the many fans who attend the tournaments. I also think of the great players who have passed through here, such as Brandon Nakashima, who after winning the tournament returned to the world Top 50.” With great satisfaction and pride, Sepúlveda also underlined the importance of the agreement for wild cards: “In the 2025 tournaments, some young people will have the opportunity to experience and participate in what a Challenger circuit is like. This experience will be granted to young people who have already proven their worth at a national and international level; for them it will be a privilege.” Regarding the state of health of the Federation, Sepúlveda explains: “The data indicate that we are on the right track. Canary Islands tennis has an excellent tradition with figures such as David Marrero and Carla Suárez Navarro. I think that all the conditions exist for new players to reach the highest levels of the ATP and WTA circuits.” The tournaments will once again be held at the Abama Tennis Academy in Guía de Isora, a destination that, in addition to its top-level tennis courts, is renowned for its Las Terrazas de Abama Suites and Los Jardines de Abama Suites hotels, its top-notch gastronomy, a shopping centre that offers a wide range of restaurants, wellness and leisure facilities, its outdoor Kids Camp and the prestigious golf course designed by Dave Thomas, a sport that is becoming increasingly popular among ATP circuit players.

MEF Tennis Events back in Tenerife – “At the end of 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, we decided to go for a project that might have seemed crazy: bringing great tennis to the Canary Islands! Five years later, we can proudly say that never has an ambition turned out to be so successful.” Marcello Marchesini, President of MEF Tennis Events, fondly recalls the beginning of the tournaments that took place between Gran Canaria and Tenerife: “In these 5 years we have organised, thanks above all to the local authorities and in particular to Turismo de Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands, 12 ATP Challenger tournaments and a WTA 250, winner of the award for the best tournament in the world in its category. Our main objectives now are twofold: first, to help the RFET, and in particular the FCT, to quickly develop new local talents who, thanks to our invitations, will be able to take their first steps in professional tennis. Second, to promote the incredible beauties of the island of Tenerife also in all the tournaments that we will organise in Italy in 2025.”

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ALBOT, PASSARO AND VERDASCO LEAD THE SEEDING
GREAT EXPECTATION FOR NARDI AND THE “AZZURRI”

Tenerife, 28 December 2022 – The entry list of the Tenerife Challenger has been officially released. The circuit returns to the Canary Islands, more precisely to the Abama Tennis Academy, which will host three events between January and February. The first, scheduled for January 15-22, is an ATP Challenger 100; two ATP Challenger 75s will follow (from 29 January to 5 February and from 5 to 12 February). In the review organized by MEF Tennis Events on the outdoor hard courts of the renowned academy, the Moldovan Radu Albot will lead the seeding. Followed by the blue Francesco Passaro and the idol of the house Fernando Verdasco. Luca Nardi will also be at the starting line, one of the most interesting prospects in world tennis.

From Passaro to Nardi, lots of Italy in Tenerife – Thirty-three-year-old Radu Albot, who boasts an ATP best ranking of 39 in his career, will be the top seed in the tournament. The Moldovan starts the season as ATP number 103 and his new run-up to the top 100 will also pass to the Canary Islands. In 2023 the Umbrian Francesco Passaro will also try to reach this goal, who after last year’s exploits, wants to continue the climb that in 2022 led him to be a protagonist on the fields of the Foro Italico and the Next Gen ATP Finals; as well as conquering the first ATP Challenger title in Trieste. Fernando Verdasco, three times Davis Cup champion with Spain, semifinalist at the 2009 Australian Open and former world number 7, needs no introduction. The champion born in Madrid, already played in Tenerife in 2021 and distinguished himself by reaching the semi-final. The presence of Italian troops is rich, starting with Matteo Arnaldi (134 ATP) and Luca Nardi (135 ATP). The latter in particular is considered one of the top prospects in world tennis and is called to the maturity season. The tricolor picture is closed by the presence in the main draw of Flavio Cobolli and Riccardo Bonadio, while Spain will also be represented by Carlos Taberner. Among the most prominent names of the excellent entry list, also the German Jan-Lennard Struff and the French Benoit Paire.

The enthusiasm of director Marrero – “It is very important for us to continue organizing tournaments in Tenerife and doing it with MEF Tennis Events is an added value: it is a guarantee of excellent success”. These are the words of David Marrero, director of the three Tenerife Challengers scheduled soon. The former number 5 ATP doubles, as well as champion of the ATP Finals in 2013 paired with Fernando Verdasco, will once again lead the events organized by MEF Tennis Events in the Canary Islands: “We start immediately strong with an ATP Challenger 100 with an excellent entry list. We are always happy to be able to welcome high-level players and in general these tournaments are good for the Spanish movement and for Canarian tennis”.

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WTA TENERIFE LADIES OPEN, THE ENTRY LIST IS OUT

SVITOLINA FIRST CANDIDATE FOR THE TITLE

RISKE, SORRIBES TORMO, GIORGI AND PAOLINI ARE ALSO REGISTERED

 

Tenerife, 23 September 2021 – The appointment with the second WTA 250 tournament organized this season by MEF Tennis Events is approaching. The Abama Tennis Academy of Tenerife will host the Tenerife Ladies Open from 18 to 24 October, the same venue for the men’s Challenger scheduled from 1 to 7 November. Among the stars of the circuit and young promises, the entry list of the women’s tournament has been released, which will be covered on television in over 150 countries.

The entry list – Elina Svitolina‘s presence stands out among the members: the world number 4, one of the queens of the Tour, is hunting for the second title of the season after the triumph in the WTA International in Chicago and aims to win precious points to return on the podium of the ranking, where she arrived in 2017. For the Ukrainian it will be a return to Tenerife, since in the past she did part of the winter training on the Spanish island together with Gael Monfils, a colleague who this year became her husband. In second place on the entry list the American Alison Riske, recent finalist of the WTA 250 in Portoroz, then the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek, semifinalist this year at Roland Garros. The only Spaniard on the list was the warrior Sara Sorribes Tormo, protagonist of an exciting season during which, among various successes, she stood out for the elimination of world number 1 Ashleigh Barty in the first round of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Also awaited for the blue Camila Giorgi (champion of the WTA Premier of Montreal), Jasmine Paolini (winner of Portoroz) and Martina Trevisan (winner of the $ 80,000 tournament in Valencia), for Clara Tauson, Marta Kostyuk and Maria Camila Osorio Serrano.

Marchesini from MEF Tennis Events- Less than a month before the start, the emotion of Marcello Marchesini, president of MEF Tennis Events, is tangible: “After the success of the two Gran Canaria Challengers, staged in Las Palmas at the beginning of the season, our collaboration with the Canary Islands. We knew we could organize a Challenger in Tenerife, then the WTA, mindful of the splendid Parma tournament in May, suggested we repeat ourselves. It seemed right to talk about it with Tenerife Tourism, which welcomed this opportunity with great enthusiasm as well as the Municipality of Guía de Isora and the property where the tennis club is installed, Las Terrazas de Abama. The support of the institutions is essential for our events and also in this case we have found it from the beginning “. The link with Spain is increasingly solid: “We are collaborating strongly with the Real Federación Española de Tenis. There is a very important project to go forward over the years with the organization of a tournament of this level “. In 2020 MEF Tennis Events signed the restart of the sport first in Italy and then internationally. This year the efforts made in the most difficult season of all have paid off: “We thought it was impossible to replicate the events we started in 2020, but the truth is that 2021 was our best year ever. This gives us strength and determination to look to the future with optimism ”.

The pride of Tourism and Federation – There is also the comment from Tenerife Tourism: “By following our new promotional strategy, we are attracting major international sporting events that perform a double function: the direct impact from the point of view of the value of the destination as well as the international promotion of the excellent infrastructure we have, in addition to the landscape and the mild climate. This tournament will be a fantastic opportunity for residents and potential visitors to enjoy a great sporting spectacle of the highest level ”. In closing the statements of Miguel Díaz Román, president of the Real Federación Española de Tenis: “For RFET it is always a pleasure to host a new tournament in our country. Spain is a land of champions who have been forged thanks to the important network of clubs we have throughout the country. In four years we have given a change to international competitions by increasing the number of tournaments very significantly. Therefore, hosting the Tenerife Ladies Open is a great joy. I would like to thank and congratulate the organizers because it is not easy to organize a WTA 250 these days ”.

Santos and Marrero – Paul Santos, Councilor for Sport of the Municipality of Guía de Isora is ready for the event: “For the Municipality of Guía de Isora, hosting this event is a source of pride and is a new opportunity to emerge on the map as one of the main destinations of sports tourism in the Canary Islands. The quality of the facilities and the good climate make Guía de Isora an attractive destination for sports 365 days a year “. Tournament director David Marrero, former number 5 in the doubles world echoes him: “The entry list is incredible. We will have a top 5 and other stars of the WTA circuit, I’m sure it will be a week of great tennis from all points of view. Personally, I am grateful to MEF Tennis Events for the opportunity to direct a tournament of this level: I can’t wait for the adventure to begin. ”

 

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