HAMBURG, September 28, 2020
The 2020 Hamburg European Open, originally scheduled for July, concluded on Sunday afternoon with Russian Andrey Rublev winning his first ATP 500 title. In times of corona, however, the organizers of the traditional Rothenbaum tournament had to pass a couple of hurdles to make the event a success.
“It was a totally different kind of organization,” tournament director Sandra Reichel told journalists in a final news conference on Sunday morning. “The pandemic was a big challenge for us but health was our top priority and that everybody stays safe. The hygiene concept worked perfectly. Special thanks to the city of Hamburg. Without their support we would not have had the chance of welcoming people on the grounds this year.”
The tournament was given special permission by city authoritites to allow a maximum of 2,300 spectators to attend daily. With a total of over 12,000 spectators and 1,200 employees and accredited people, the Hamburg European Open has been the largest tournament to be held in front of fans since the re-start of the international tennis circuits.
FINAL DAY! Are you ready? 🏟🎾🔥@atptour | #HamburgOpen pic.twitter.com/TqRYY7dPwA
— Hamburg European Open 〽️ (@hamburgopen) September 27, 2020
“The spectators got the opportunity to watch world-class tennis with Stefanos Tsitsipas as the reigning ATP Tour Finals champion in the final against Andrey Rublev. We learnt that there should be a focus on the sport again,” Reichel pointed out and added:
“We didn’t have a lot of time to organize the event. There were only four or five weeks time but I have a great team behind me as well as fantastic partners and sponsors. It was great to have them all on the same page, which helped a lot. Together we have shown that it is possible to host large events in a safe environment even in these difficult times.”
