Barcelona is once again taking its chances on clay. From this Saturday until next Sunday, the 69th edition of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell - Conde de Godó Trophy will fill the Reial Club de Tennis Barcelona (RCTB) with some of the best rackets in the world. Under the slogan We come strong!, it will be the year of the return to normality, after the pandemic has affected the last two editions, canceling the 2020 edition and limiting the capacity in the 2021 edition, with only 1,000 spectators in the stands. To top it off, the grand final will be held the day after Sant Jordi, a quintessential Barcelona day.
The 69th edition of the tournament will feature Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, Norwegian Casper Ruud, and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, three tennis players in the top 10 of the ATP ranking. It will also be one of the most international, with players from about twenty countries.
Tsitsipas, current world number five and double finalist in Barcelona in 2018 and 2021, competes with a desire to win and achieve his first victory in this tournament, after losing to Rafa Nadal in the last edition. The Mallorcan, twelve-time Barcelona Open champion and in fourth position in the ATP, will not face Tsitsipas after announcing last week that he would not participate in the competition as he has not yet recovered from a rib injury.
After winning the Australian Open, Nadal was injured in the Indian Wells semifinal match against Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, precisely another of the protagonists of the Godó. At 18 years old, the Murcian is already rubbing shoulders with the best tennis players in the world. He arrives at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell after having won the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro. The also Spanish Nicolas Álvarez, an RCTB tennis player who won the qualifying phase, Australian Álex de Miñaur, and American Sebastian Korda will be the other young promises competing in Barcelona.
Another of the protagonists will be Catalan Tommy Robredo who will bid farewell to the courts at the RCTB tournament, which he won in 2004. Robredo, 39, has decided to hang up his racket in Barcelona with a record of 12 ATP titles from 23 finals played. He also has three Davis Cups and has been a Roland Garros quarterfinalist.
Beyond the rackets that will be seen on Barcelona's clay court, the Godó will feature chefs Nandu Jubany and Tomás Abellán. Hamburguesa Nostra, Rodilla, Can Pizza, and Kiki & Riki will complete the gastronomic offer. The sports days will close with music, with groups and DJs such as Malmö 040, Besmaya, Aire de Manual, Dj Sutton, and Ciao Marina.
Banco Sabadell renews its commitment to the tournament
For the fourteenth time, the Godó has Banco Sabadell as its main sponsor, which has maintained its commitment and support to the tournament despite the uncertainty experienced during these years of pandemic and the change of event organizer, as the company Tennium has replaced the multinational IMG as manager. "Banco Sabadell has considered it a priority to transmit tranquility to the organizers and stability to an event of maximum sporting relevance that has proven to be an effective platform for the international projection of the city of Barcelona," the entity points out.
According to its president, Josep Oliu, Banco Sabadell "identifies with the values of tennis," which is why it has chosen to "renew its trust for another year with this sponsorship, just as we did even in the worst moments of the pandemic." "The values of tennis, together with the tradition and national and international projection of the tournament, make this event an unavoidable meeting point with society, clients, and collaborators," the banker notes.
For his part, the president of the RCTB, Jordi Cambra, emphasizes that the bank "has always understood the philosophy of the tournament and, therefore, we have a great mutual responsibility to maintain the prestige and recognition for both." "We are very happy to extend the alliance with Sabadell to continue the growth path we have set for ourselves," Cambra highlights.