HAMBURG/STARNBERG, November 19, 2021
The 2022 Hamburg European Open will be held as a combined event from July 16 to 24. This was announced by the organizers of the tournaments on Friday.
“I couldn’t be happier that we were able to accomplish this with our partners. To me, it’s a dream come true! I consider a combined tournament to be the ultimate offering for tennis fans,” said tournament director Sandra Reichel.
Earlier this year, Sandra Reichel and her father Peter-Michael Reichel acquired a WTA 250 tournament license, bringing women’s professional tennis back to the Rothenbaum after a 19-year hiatus. The 2021 edition of the women’s event was won by Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who beat tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic in the final. The competition was held in mid-July followed by an ATP 500 tournament, in which Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain captured the title.
There are only five other combined events in Europe: The Championships at Wimbledon, the French Open at Roland-Garros, two Masters tournaments in Rome and Madrid, as well as the grass-court tournaments in Eastbourne, United Kingdom.
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Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “Having a strong men’s and women’s game is something that truly sets our sport apart. Showcasing both together, on the same stages, enhances the combined storytelling of the Tours across the season. This is an exciting moment for the Hamburg European Open. Fans will no doubt look forward to witnessing the evolution of this historic tournament in 2022.”
Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO, emphasized: “I was delighted to see the WTA Tour return to Hamburg for the first time since 2002 this year and continue the rich tennis history at the event, with previous champions including Venus Williams, Martina Hingis and Kim Clijsters. I have no doubt that the combined tournament with the ATP in 2022 will be a great spectacle in the beautiful city of Hamburg.”
The last time men and women competed at the same time at the Rothenbaum tennis complex was back in 1978 when Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas and Mima Jausovic of the former Republic of Yugoslavia lifted the trophies.
