ALICANTE/STARNBERG, March 13, 2025

This Sunday marks the start of the 25th edition of Spain’s premier junior tennis tournament, an event that has been won by stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Paula Badosa, Andrey Rublev, and Alejandro Davidovich.

The first junior tournament in Spain was organized in 2001 at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, then known as EQUELITE, while Ferrero was still training there. That same year, he helped Spain secure its first Davis Cup title.  Since then, the tournament has grown into the most prestigious junior event in Spain, featuring a larger-than-usual draw and attracting some of the world’s best young talents.

This tournament is a crucial stop for junior players aiming to gain valuable ranking points ahead of Roland Garros or secure a higher seeding. With competitors from over 35 countries, it is also a great opportunity to assess the strength of Spanish tennis. The Spanish junior “Armada” rarely disappoints, with former champions and participants including Carlos Alcaraz, Paula Badosa, Alejandro Davidovich, Pablo Carreño-Busta, Nicolas Almagro, Rebeka Masarova, and Jaume Munar.

Last year, Andrés Santamarta continued Spain’s dominance by winning the ITF J300 Memorial Eduardo Ferrero, finishing the year as one of the Top 5 U18 players worldwide. Many top professionals have competed here before making it big: Andrey Rublev was a finalist 10 years ago, while Diana Shnaider (WTA Top 13) and Giovanni Mpetshi (ATP Top 30) lifted the trophy just four years ago.

This year’s tournament offers a unique chance to see the future stars of tennis. In the girls’ draw, Spain is among the favorites, with four players inside the Top 100, led by Neus Torner and Charo Esquiva. The boys’ draw is expected to be highly competitive, with Tito Chavez and Sergio Planella as Spain’s top-ranked players.