LUANCO/STARNBERG, April 22, 2025
Former World No. 3 and Grand Slam champion Dominic Thiem will headline the 38th edition of the BDO Tenis Playa Luanco, a truly unique event played not on clay or hard court — but directly on the sand of a beach that disappears under the high tide each day. Joining Thiem in this year’s lineup is Pedro Cachín of Argentina, currently ranked inside the world’s top 300 and a former world No. 48. Both are set to return to Luanco’s iconic arena between August 4 and 7, 2025, where eight professional players will compete in front of 3,000 spectators and a live television audience.
The event, held in Luanco, Asturias, is the only professional tennis tournament in the world played on a beach, and has become an iconic summer fixture that blends high-level sport with a spectacular natural setting. It’s part of Spain’s national sports program “España Compite: en la Empresa como en el Deporte”, under the Fundación Deporte Joven. This year, the tournament is also reinforcing its commitment to sustainability through a partnership with the Ecomar Foundation, including the new Tenis Challenger Cabo Peñas: a charity match featuring leading Asturian sports journalists playing tennis in front of 500 local children.
The tournament was recently presented in Madrid at the headquarters of the Spanish Sports Council, with former winner and Olympic bronze medalist Pablo Carreño Busta in attendance. Although unable to participate this year due to scheduling conflicts, Carreño Busta fondly recalled his 2022 win in Luanco and called it “the best preparation” for his eventual ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal – the biggest win of his career. “As soon as I can, I’ll return to play in Luanco,” he promised, sharing memories of attending the event as a child to collect autographs.
Carreño Busta also remarked: “Many players on the ATP tour ask me about Luanco. It plays much better than you’d expect from watching it on TV. Sometimes the tide rises so quickly that the crowd has to leave the stands!”
Hoy presentamos la XXXVIII edición del Torneo BDO #Tenis Playa #Luanco en la sede @deportegob y anunciamos 3 nuevos tenistas que estarán en la Ribera del 4 al 7 de agosto: @domithiem, @pecachin1 y Bernardo Munk #TorneoBDOTenisPlaya#TorneoBDOTenisPlayaLuanco pic.twitter.com/5OvTUrMCHg
— Torneo BDO Tenis Playa de Luanco (@TenisLuanco) April 22, 2025
Pedro Cachín, a finalist in the most recent edition, highlighted the atmosphere: “It’s a unique tournament — you can feel that as a player. You’re treated incredibly well here, and it’s like a tennis celebration. The ATP circuit can feel like a machine, but Luanco is about people and passion.” Cachín even draws inspiration from Luanco for the tournament he organizes in Argentina: “I take notes here. There’s a lot to learn.”
Also confirmed for 2025 are Spanish players Bernabé Zapata Miralles and Miguel Avendaño, as well as Edas Butvilas from Lithuania — all of whom have previously played in Luanco — and Bernardo Munk, a young Spanish talent currently ranked No. 85 in the junior world rankings, making his debut.
For Avendaño, former Davis Cup captain and multiple-time champion of the tournament in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Luanco is home. “It’s incredible that a tournament like this is even possible here,” he said. “Winning it in my hometown was a dream come true.” Avendaño also paid tribute to Manolo Galé, the founder and “soul” of the tournament: “He was a unique ambassador and the reason this all exists.”
Tickets for the 2025 edition go on sale May 12 via tenisplaya.com and El Corte Inglés.
