Two hundred children and adolescents from seven social centers run by the Instituto del Niño y Adolescente del Uruguay stepped onto the courts at the Centro de Desarrollo del Tenis in Montevideo to mark the launch of the fourteenth season of the Tenis Para Todos program, Montevideo Portal reported. The social responsibility initiative operates under the umbrella of the Uruguay Open, which is celebrating its 25th edition this year.
Running from May through late October, the program organizes regular tennis sessions designed to introduce the sport to participants who otherwise might not have access to it. Sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays in two distinct time slots—from 10:00 to 11:00 and from 14:00 to 15:00 local time—at the facility located in Plaza de Deportes N.º 3 within the Parque Rodó neighborhood. Coordination is handled by Lucrecia Acosta alongside tennis instructors Victoria Mariño, Federico Viera, and Pedro Pereira.
Eight different institutions participated in the 2026 rollout across the capital. Those organizations include Centro Juvenil Molino de Galgo, Club Resurrección, Club Los Caramelos, Amiclub, CINDIS, Club de Lourdes, Hogar Desafío, and Centro Juvenil Bien al Sur. Throughout the months of activity, organizers worked to supply equipment directly to the participating groups.
Equipment Donations Expand Access in Montevideo Neighborhoods
A primary milestone for the 2026 season involved distributing new tennis rackets to several of the participating institutions to help foster continued training. Beyond the rackets, organizers secured a dedicated tennis net for the Centro Juvenil Molino de Galgo, situated in the Unión neighborhood, allowing the youth center to host matches and practice sessions on its own grounds. Additional distributions included items of clothing tailored to meet the basic needs of participants identified by program coordinators over the course of the season.
Diego Pérez, director of the Uruguay Open and a former tennis player, emphasized that the initiative focuses on participation rather than elite competition. Speaking at the presentation event, Pérez noted that the program aims to provide an enjoyable environment for everyone involved. “Tenis Para Todos is a program that deserves to keep going forward,” Pérez said, as reported by Montevideo Portal. “We never know if great tennis players will come out of here, but that is not the goal either. The goal is for them to come, have fun, and have a good time.”
Sports Initiative Builds Identity and Growth for Youth
Representatives from government agencies and child welfare organizations detailed how the sports initiative affected the community. Mauricio Fuentes, vice president of the INAU, pointed to recreational athletics as a vital foundation for personal growth and community connection among participating youth.
“Sport is a beautiful way to build identity, to find friends, and to experience this world,” Fuentes stated. “It makes us very happy to see so many children and adolescents having fun, learning new skills, and challenging themselves to see how far they can go. Hopefully, they learn to love sport and that it extends over time.”
Daniel Leite, national manager of the Secretaría Nacional del Deporte, used three specific verbs to summarize his assessment of the program during the official presentation: to thank, to celebrate, and to support. Leite praised the use of public infrastructure to host the program and commended the Uruguay Open for maintaining the social responsibility project over its long run, noting that participants are actively learning how to coexist in peace and harmony through athletics.
Activities at the Plaza de Deportes N.º 3 are scheduled to continue guiding participants through their weekly routines under the supervision of Acosta and her coaching staff as the tournament organizers prepare for the upcoming milestone 25th edition of the main Uruguay Open competition.
