MUNICH, April 12, 2025
A new chapter began on Saturday in the storied history of the International Bavarian Tennis Championships. Under clear blue skies, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius, the main draw for the BMW Open by Bitpanda was unveiled in ideal conditions. To match the tournament’s new status as an ATP 500 event, significant enhancements have been made to the venue at the MTTC Iphitos, a traditional tennis club located next to Munich’s iconic English Garden.
A brand-new, temporary Center Court with a capacity for over 6,000 spectators has been built. Set against the charming backdrop of the historic clubhouse, the court combines world-class sporting infrastructure with a uniquely picturesque atmosphere.
Fans can also look forward to improved match and practice courts, as well as newly designed public zones and VIP areas that enhance the overall event experience.
“The entire club is proud of what we have created here. Many things have remained the same, and yet, we have developed a completely new tournament – everything comes together very harmoniously,” said Fabian Tross, board member of host and license holder MTTC Iphitos.
“We started planning the ATP 500 tournament on the final day of last year’s edition, and truly, nothing has stayed the same. I am convinced that every minute of the long preparation was worth it, and I’m looking forward to packed stands and goosebump moments,” said Christian Okon, Managing Director of event organizer MMP Event.
Zverev leads the field
The 32-player field promises a host of intriguing matchups, led by home favorite Alexander Zverev. The German World No. 2, who lifted the BMW Open by Bitpanda trophy in 2017 and 2018, will start his title bid against Frenchman Alexandre Muller.
The @BMWOpen500 main draw is out! #ATPTour #Munich pic.twitter.com/tkeTzUiZ3R
— TennisTourTalk (@TennisTourTalk) April 12, 2025
“The Center Court and the new village is really nice,” Zverev said about the changes. “Having a roof on Center Court in the future will make a difference for the tournament. It’s good to see that the tournament is continuing to evolve.”
Asked about his first-round opponent, the 27-year-old Hamburg native responded: “We know each other from our days as juniors. We are of the same age, and I played against him at the US Open last year. I just hope that I can just show good tennis. Then, I will not have to focus too much on my opponent.”
US-American youngster Ben Shelton will make his Munich debut this year. The World No. 14 is the second seed, facing a qualifier or a lucky loser in the first round.
Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada is seeded third, taking on Mariano Navone of Argentina in his opening match. Frenchman Ugo Humbert rounds out the top four seeds. He will oppose Nicolas Jarry from Chile.
Patrik Kühnen, Tournament Director of the BMW Open by Bitpanda, stated: “As every year, our goal is to have a world-class field of participants. At the same time, it is important to us to support players from Germany and the region, giving them the opportunity to rise above themselves in front of their home crowd.”
Besides first-prize money of €467,485 and 500 ATP Ranking points, the champion of this year’s BMW Open by Bitpanda will also receive a brand-new BMW iX M70.
Qualifying gets underway
The qualifying draw was already packed with high-level talent. For example, two-time finalist Botic van de Zandschulp was in action on Saturday. The 2022 and 2023 runner-up defeated local favourite Max Hans Rehberg 6-3, 6-1 in the very first official match played on the new Center Court.
Other winners include: wild card entry Diego Dedura-Palomero from Germany, Learner Tien of the United States, Chun-Hsin Tseng from Chinese Taipei, Briton Billy Harris, Alexander Shevchenko and Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan as well as Croatia’s Borna Gojo.
Allianz Para Trophy part of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour
World class wheelchair tennis can also be witnessed in Munich again with the fourth edition of the Allianz Para Trophy. The tournament is part of the official ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour for the second straight year. The highly attractive field is led by 32-time Grand Slam champion Alfie Hewett from Great Britain.
Mischa Zverev is another big name involved in the event. The 37-year-old German will serve as the tournament director of the Allianz Para Trophy for the third consecutive year.
“I am looking forward to awesome tennis, great players, great personalities, lots of entertaining points, athleticism and hopefully a lot of people will enjoy this sport. I think it’s fascinating,” Zverev said. “Those guys, not only they’re travelling around the world in a wheelchair with a lot of luggage and conquer the world with difficulties, but also their attitude on court is phenomenal.”
Has Mischa Zverev already found a favourite spot at the venue? “I do like the Center Court. It’s large but cosy,” he said. “It has a good size. It’s not too deep, it’s not too wide and the court just feels great. I will also enjoy the VIP Area this year because it is a typical Bavarian set up. I can’t wait to have some Kaiserschmarrn, which is a local dessert, and I love it.”
