ATP Challenger: "Berlin Open" 2021 in the second attempt?
Professional tennis at Tempelhof Airport will not remain a unique experience. After the show tournament held last year as part of the bett1ACES, the ATP Challenger Tour will make a guest appearance on the grounds of the former airport this summer.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Feb 16, 2021, 01:53 pm
The Berlin Open, endowed with prize money of 156,240 dollars, is scheduled for the week of July 19-25.
"We have been working in the event industry in Berlin for many years and would like to set a signal with the Challenger", announced Ulrich Weingärnter, one of the two managing directors of Gil & Weingärnter GmbH responsible for the event, during the tennis podcast "Challenger Corner" . The trained architect and tennis fan describes men's tennis in the German capital as a “diaspora”, which must be countered.
Berlin Open in the second attempt
The tournament should have been held last year, but the onset of the corona crisis prevented the project. "For us as newbies, the event was not feasible under the new conditions in the midst of a pandemic," admits Weingärtner, but also makes it clear that the situation has improved with increasing experience.
That the experienced Austrian tennis organizers from e-motion, who have been organizing the ATP tournaments in Stuttgart, Vienna and Mallorca for years, have chosen the extraordinary location for bett1ACES and provided spectacular pictures with a court in the middle of Hangar 6 , Weingärtner takes "sporty".
Tempelhof as USP
“Of course we want to make sure that the shots are even more spectacular,” he says with a smile. “The location fits perfectly to Berlin and represents a unique selling point on the Challenger Tour. At every corner you can feel the history of this place. For our tournament we will use the General Aviation Terminal with the historic gates and staircases as well as the covered apron with an unobstructed view of the airfield. "
Players, coaches and officials will be accommodated in Hangar 5 of the international airport, which opened in 1923 and closed in 2008, with the three-letter code "THF". “The game is played on a hard court, as there is a lack of tournaments held on this surface. In the run-up to the US Open, we could therefore present a small, fine European solution, ”says Weingärtner, specifying the strategic direction and adding that“ there is enough space to grow ”. The project is definitely intended for a longer period of time.
Birgit as tournament director
Birgit Bach, sports director of the Leipzig Open since 2015, will act as tournament director of the Berlin Open and, as a licensed trainer and marketing expert, should bring her concentrated tennis expertise into the balance in order to ensure the success of the tournament. In 2016, Bach was able to win the award of the German Tennis Association for the best international tournament of the year by hosting the ITF women's event.
Pandemic as a big question mark
Ultimately, from the point of view of the Berlin organizers as well as the tennis fans, it is to be hoped that Corona will not thwart the bill again. Weingärtner also makes it clear that the tournament, which should also include side events and the presentation of other sports as part of an "Urban Sports Festival", only makes economic sense in conjunction with spectators.
“We trust ourselves to present the tournament with appropriate protective and hygiene measures. Unfortunately, the development for events this year in Germany is still unclear at the moment. Various parameters have to fit, otherwise it cannot work. However, we are approaching the matter positively, remain optimistic and continue to enjoy the preparations ”, said Weingärtner.