BRAUNSCHWEIG/STARNBERG, October 6, 2026

The BRAWO OPEN in Braunschweig will no longer be held from next year, bringing an end to one of Germany’s longest-running ATP Challenger tournaments.

Brunswiek Marketing GmbH, a subsidiary of Volksbank BRAWO, has informed its partners, co-sponsors and local authorities that it will not be able to stage the tournament in the future. The event has been held since 1994 at the Braunschweiger Tennis- und Hockey Club (BTHC) in the city’s Bürgerpark and has become a long-standing fixture on the sporting calendar in Braunschweig and the surrounding region.

Given the challenging situation facing Volksbank BRAWO, continuing to finance the tournament would have represented an expenditure that could no longer be justified. An intensive search for additional sponsors and co-organizers has so far failed to produce the desired results.

“This is a bitter decision,” said Jürgen Wache, designated CEO of Volksbank BRAWO. “The traditional tournament has been an important date in the annual calendar of Braunschweig and the region for many years. We are very aware of that. It combined top-level sport with culture.”

However, Wache stressed that the decision had become necessary in view of the major challenges currently facing the bank. “We are in a comprehensive restructuring process to put Volksbank BRAWO back on a successful course,” he said. “Unfortunately, this means that our scope for large-scale sponsorship is extremely limited.” The search for additional partners, sponsors and co-organizers had also failed to deliver the hoped-for outcome.

Markus Beese, Managing Director of Brunswiek Marketing GmbH, said the organizers had remained hopeful until the end of finding additional support for the event.

“We had hoped until the very end to attract additional partners and co-sponsors for this impressive event,” Beese said. “Unfortunately, we have not succeeded in doing so to date.”

The decision brings to a close a 32-year chapter of professional tennis in Braunschweig, with the BRAWO OPEN having established itself as a regular stop on the ATP Challenger Tour and an important sporting and cultural event for the region.

Another blow for 🇩🇪 tennis.

The traditional ATP Challenger in Braunschweig, which has been held since 1994 and was multiple times voted the world’s best Challenger event, will no longer take place following the withdrawal of its main sponsor.

#ATPChallenger #BRAWOOpen

— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) October 5, 2026