MALLORCA, April 28, 2021
The 2021 grass-court swing, in the lead-up to The Championships at Wimbledon, will feature a new ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca. The first edition of the ATP Mallorca Championships will be held at the Mallorca Country Club in less than two months on June 20 to 26.
The key facts of the tournament were presented on Wednesday in the historic building “La Misericòrdia” in the center of Palma by tournament director Toni Nadal and Edwin Weindorfer, CEO and founder of the organizing e | motion group. The representatives of all local institutions that support the tournament also emphasized the importance of the event for Mallorca.
Kyrgios, Verdasco, Lopez confirmed
Australia’s ‘enfant terrible’ Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veterans Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez are the first players announced to compete in the event.
💥 BOOM 💥@NickKyrgios is confirmed for the tournament and he is really looking forward to see all the fans in Mallorca 😈#ThisIsTennis#ThisIsKyrgios@atptour pic.twitter.com/VPzZhln1tz
— Mallorca Championships (@MallorcaChamps) April 28, 2021
“Besides the ‘Big 3’, Nick is clearly one of the biggest stars in tennis. He also has the most supporters among the young fans. He’s a great player who also makes a great show on the court. Therefore we are happy about his commitment to play at the Mallorca Championships. I hope that his appearance will make a lot of fans come to Santa Ponça,” said Toni Nadal.
Fans to be allowed on-site
Great news is that spectators will be allowed to attend the matches. The local health authorities have approved a maximum of 1,500 fans per day. The Mallorca Championships, offering €900,000 in prize money, was originally set to make its debut in 2020, but the event was not held due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, it will be the first time that an ATP Tour tournament has been contested in Mallorca since 2002 and also the first one hosted on grass in Spain. It will also be the first time that night sessions will take place at a grass-court tournament. Special care of the courts and perfect climatic conditions in Mallorca will make matches under floodlights possible.
The tournament will be hosted by the Mallorca Country Club, which shines in new splendor after a comprehensive renovation. “The Mallorca Country Club will be the new home of the Mallorca Championships. We have invested heavily in redesigning the entire facility to turn it into a club that is open all year round and will host various events. At the end of this summer we will be able to open the club to the sports-loving public,” stated Edwin Weindorfer.
Mallorca: a tourist destination
What the club means for the city of Calvià, said Mayor Alfonso Rodríguez: “For us it is important that with the revival of the Mallorca Country Club in connection with the Mallorca Championships, a year-round project for various events has been created. This also makes Calviá a little less dependent on the tourist season.”
🎥Vídeo promocional de #Mallorca. Un projecte que té a Rafa Nadal i l’illa com a protagonistes absoluts. Desenvolupat per la #FundacióMallorcaTurisme i @ajuntpalma
Simulant el pilotatge d’un dron, l’esportista mostra una Mallorca «a vista d’ocell»▶️ pic.twitter.com/E756S28AAf
— Turisme i Esports – Consell de Mallorca (@turismeiesports) June 26, 2020
The representatives of the local institutions agreed that the event will carry the message out to the world that Mallorca is a safe holiday destination. In addition, the tournament will boost the local economy.
“We are very grateful to the e | motion group for organizing this tournament. As a government, this type of event is important to us in order to continue to work on the independence of seasonal tourism, to stimulate the economy again and to advertise Mallorca all over the world. Our island really embodies the Mediterranean spirit. We have everything to become one of the leading destinations for quality sports tourism,” said Catalina Cladera, President of the Island Council of Mallorca.
The commitment of the ATP Mallorca Championships with regard to sustainability was also discussed at this media event. “The future of the islands depends on sustainability. I am aware of the great efforts made by this event in relation to the sustainability goals and the 2030 Agenda. Without a doubt, it is a very important obligation of the Balearic Islands Council to reposition tourism,” said Xisco Mateu, Director of the Balearic Tourism Authority.
Support for Wimbledon stronger than ever
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) has also sent a message of support to its official partner tournament.
“The All England Club is delighted that the preparations for the ATP Mallorca Championships are progressing so well and that the event is well on its way to being held this year thanks to the great support from the government. Tennis fans are eagerly awaiting the return of the world’s best players to grass. Creating great practice and competition opportunities on quality grass courts is a priority for us, as it is an important part of adding value to the grass-court season in the run-up to the Wimbledon Championships. In order to make this vision come true, we have worked closely with our partners in the e | motion group over the past few years,” says Sally Bolton, AELTC Chief Executive.
