The hope that Gijón could host a new edition of a tennis tournament has just vanished. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has just confirmed the cancellation of the 250 level competition, which was going to be organized in Tel Aviv at the beginning of November. The attack by Hamas and the outbreak of war in the Middle Eastern country is behind this decision. Due to the conflict, a small possibility had opened for Gijón to organize the tennis tournament in the Hebrew country. However, the ATP has just confirmed that it will be Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, who will finally win the tournament.
The chances of Gijón being able to repeat the success of last year’s tennis tournament were very remote. This is how it was understood at least in recent weeks. The city was able to organize the event not only because of its good work but because a series of factors came together last year. The first, the war in Ukraine. The invasion of Russia led to the cancellation of the Kremlin Cup and led the ATP to organize new events throughout the world. It was not, however, the Russian tournament (held in Moscow) that Gijón ended up winning. A second fundamental factor came in here for top-level tennis to reach Asturias. The cancellation of competitions in Asian countries also had an influence. The pandemic cut short the Shanghai tournament, in China, which was the license that the Spanish Tennis Federation ended up retaining to promote what was the Gijón Open.
The possibility of there being a second edition of the Gijón tournament was something that all levels of the city desired. But from what was said to what was done… the complexity of the organization, especially in comparison with the investment capacity of other cities, made it increasingly seem like something more distant for Gijón to once again host top-level rackets. . In that sense, the return of the tournaments in Asia did not help the Asturian cause either. Tel Aviv, an Israeli city, was the city that finally ended all of Gijón’s chances of getting the appointment.
But there was a twist. The outbreak of war this weekend opened a possibility. The Hamas attack from the Gaza Strip and the subsequent response from the country governed by Benjamin Netanyahu have generated a climate of instability and danger in the area that is incompatible with the organization of a sports tournament of these characteristics. The Spanish Tennis Federation, in communication with the Asturian one, tried to take advantage of the context to bring this license to Asturias. There were contacts with the City Council, which was favorable to the idea. Of course, with many “buts”. The financing of the event and its organization in a few weeks were the main obstacles. “This city is prepared to host any top-level sporting event. We know that a tournament of that category has fallen and if there is a possibility, Gijon will be there to fight it,” said the municipal spokesperson, forum member Jesús Martínez Salvador, this morning.
Of course, the options did not last long. In a meeting held today by the ATP, it was decided to give the competition to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Therefore, the Gijón Open will remain, at least this year, a wonderful exception that placed the city at the top of world tennis just once.
2023-10-10 15:32:03
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