MAIA, November 2, 2021
It is already a tradition and in 2021 it will be even bigger: the ATP Challenger Tour will return to the Complexo Municipal de Ténis da Maia in December. This year, however, with two international tournaments organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation and supported by the Maia City Council.
From December 5 to 19, during the last two weeks of the ATP Challenger Tour calendar, the historic venue situated in the Porto Metropolitan Area will host two consecutive events. Both ATP Challenger 80 tournaments will offer a total prize money of €44,820. It will be the last opportunities for players to earn points in the 2021 Challenger season.
The Maia Open I will be one of three ATP Challenger 80 tournaments taking place between December 5 and 12, alongside Forli, Italy and Florianópolis, Brazil, while between December 12 and 19 the Maia Open II will only have the company of one ATP Challenger 80 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both events will be held indoors on clay.
Terrific news as the Portuguese Tennis Federation announces not one but TWO #ATPChallenger 80 events in Maia:
Maia Open I from December 5-12
Maia Open II from December 12-19That means a total of NINE Challengers happening in Portugal throughout 2021 — an absolute record. pic.twitter.com/YR9FZaimmJ
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) October 28, 2021
“After two successful editions, this extension of the Maia Open to two tournaments to occupy the last two weeks of the ATP Challenger Tour calendar reinforces the objective that the Portuguese Tennis Federation has to provide to Portuguese players more opportunities to compete in our country,” said Vasco Costa, president of the Portuguese Tennis Federation.
In 2019 Slovak Jozef Kovalik won the first edition of the Maia Open since its return to the ATP Challenger Tour. One year later home favourite Pedro Sousa defeated Spaniard Carlos Tabernar in the final to claim his eighth Challenger career title.
