Berlin instead of Madrid? Big tennis tournament could move to Germany
The combined event in Madrid could soon move to Germany. Apparently, tournament owner Ion Tiriac is considering having the tournament take place in Berlin from 2022.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Nov 10, 2020, 07:50 am
Tournament director Feliciano Lopez and Co. don't always have it easy with the tennis event in Madrid these days. This year, the tournament could not take place due to the corona pandemic, now owner Ion Tiriac is apparently also thinking about moving. This is reported by the Romanian sports website ProSport .
According to the report, the beneficiary could be the German capital Berlin. Due to the recent successes of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber, Tiriac should be very interested in having the tournament held in Berlin. According to ProSport , a meeting between Tiriac and Mayor Michael Müller took place on Tuesday. In this, the future of the combined event was obviously discussed.
Contract is due to expire in 2021
According to rumors, Tiriac was planning to bring the event to Germany as early as 2018. In the same year the Romanian billionaire tried to persuade the city of Madrid to buy the tournament. However, due to the high price (rumored 250 million euros), the city government rejected the offer.
Since 2002, both an ATP 1000 tournament and a WTA Premier Mandatory event have been taking place in the Spanish capital, and in 2009 the change from hard court to clay took place. According to ProSport, the contract between Tiriac and the city of Madrid will expire next year. The event could therefore take place in Berlin in May 2022.
Feliciano Lopez and the Spanish Tennis Association did not comment on a possible move of the event for the time being.