ATP Halle: Ralf Weber - "Roger Federer is a friend of the tournament"
The ATP Tour 500 tournament in Halle / Westphalia again presented a top class of participants in 2019. Jörg Allmeroth spoke to tournament director Ralf Weber about the present and the future of the traditional event.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit:
Jun 20, 2019, 12:47 pm
Mr. Weber, after the bankruptcy of Gerry Weber AG, many fans were concerned about the future of the tennis tournament in Halle. Why does the tournament continue?
Ralf Weber : Because the tournament is managed by an independent company, Gerry Weber Management and Event GmbH & Co. OHG. And with the entry of Germany's leading healthcare provider Noventi, who has also acquired the right to name for 2019 as part of a three-year partnership until 2021, the tournament is on a solid foundation. Gerry Weber International AG will nevertheless remain present on the facility, for example with the sales tent. The Fashion Night, on the eve of the final, also takes place; it remains an important instrument, in particular for customer loyalty.
You recently stated that the home region of East Westphalia is very committed to the tournament.
Weber: In fact, we were very happy to see the encouragement and support that our long-term partners have. Many companies have even expanded their commitment, the backing from the sponsors is impressive. We saw this as a great, very great sign of trust.
How important is the partnership with Noventi Health SE?
Weber : It is an important signal for a new beginning, a forward-looking partnership. We had many intensive discussions with interested parties, there was a remarkable demand. Among them were companies who want to start playing tennis from scratch - like Noventi Health SE. The company sees this globally and nationally renowned tournament as a platform to generally point out the importance of sport for health. We could also refer to first-class media data here, the tournament has a strong standing on the tennis tour. We are also the market leader in Germany.
More international spectators in Halle
However, you are still looking for additional partners. For companies that could act as title sponsors in 2020 and beyond.
Weber : That is correct. This year, other interested parties will be there to experience the atmosphere, to get an overall impression. I am sure that they will like it here, including the internationality that came with the upgrade to the ATP-500 Status has taken place. We not only have more TV stations that broadcast the tournament, around 130 countries are switched on. We also have more international visitors from all continents.
What is your own mood when the tournament no longer has the family name?
Weber : Ultimately, it's not about my own state of mind. The point is that this tournament remains and is future-proof. If you look at the tournament landscape, that's actually nothing unusual. The main sponsors will change several times in just under 30 years. Our situation was the exception rather than the rule. But clearly: I also see it with a weeping eye because we have put in a lot of effort to build and offer a recognized sports and entertainment package - year after year.
What were the reactions from the players?
Weber : There was also a lot of support and solidarity. You can tell how much the tournament has grown dear to the players, after all, everyone emphasizes again and again how familiar the atmosphere in Halle is. I can clearly say that this year we have to spend significantly less financial resources to enable this field of participants. The viewer will not feel anything of the developments anyway, on the contrary: the offer for the fans has even been upgraded again, we have very great artists who appear on our event stage in the evening.
17 participations by Roger Federer - "An incredible number"
Roger Federer also offered his help to the tournament wherever possible.
Weber : Roger is simply part of the tournament family, and of course it touched us very much how much he takes part in this development. He is the man who shaped this tournament as a player like no other, he has been the outstanding face of the tournament in the 26 years of the Gerry Weber Open so far. He will remain connected to us beyond his active career, we have already talked about it and developed some ideas. The tournament has long been a partner of the Roger Federer Foundation.
Federer's career is now slowly coming to an end. What does the future look like without the Maestro?
Weber: Despite this close partnership with Roger, we were never critically dependent. We were always very well positioned in terms of personnel. The situation reminds me a bit of the pioneering days of the tournament when we had neither Becker nor Stich with us. But soon new faces came, Becker and Stich also came, there was never really a problem. Roger wasn't the super or mega star ad hoc either. He himself emphasizes that world tennis has a good perspective. In any case, we will always put together world-class fields. And we are certain that with the lawn tennis product we also offer something extraordinary, something elegant and exclusive that attracts fans.
Alexander Zverev is also a regular in Halle. It should continue to play an important role in the future.
Weber : Sure, he even suggested that we want to talk to us about a lifetime contract based on Roger Federer. Sascha has had a fantastic development. Who would have thought that at the age of 21 he would already be among the top 3 in the world rankings and win the tour final - against Federer and Djokovic on the final weekend. It is perfectly normal that he has to go through crises when he is young. Roger or Boris had to suffer that too earlier. I also find it refreshing how openly he deals with his problems and how he stays close to the fans. He is an exceptional young man.
Price increases like in Rome? "For me this is an absurdity"
Another topic. For many tournament directors, the development of the prize money is viewed very critically. The tournament will also pay out five percent more in 2019, around EUR 2.7 million.
Weber : There are indeed a lot of organizers at a pain threshold now. Players often look at a few top events, the Grand Slams, which have huge sales and huge net profits. Demands are derived from this that are hardly compatible with most competitions. The money does not fall from the sky for us tournament directors, it has to be earned and earned hard. I would like to see more realism here, also from those who represent the interests of professionals. Because one thing is certain: we want to continue to offer moderate admission prices for our loyal fans, the whole thing should remain affordable and accessible. We are not pushing prices up because Federer is probably playing on one or the other day.
In Rome, at the Masters there, last minute buyers were punished with double the admission prices - according to Federer's tournament promise.
Weber : That is an absurdity for me. We would never do that here, it is not serious.
Federer is in Halle for the 17th time in 2019.
Weber : An incredible number, in many ways. The best player of all time, he is a regular in Halle, he is a friend of the tournament, a member of Roger always feels good, his whole family feels the same way. This is one of the reasons why he won no less than nine times here. Maybe it will even be number ten this year, but there is enough competition for him. Very strong competition. This field of participants is impressive, with Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov and Borna Coric alone.