The fellow Intrealans Open is more than just a stop on the ATP Challenger Tour, which had more than 200 events around the world last year.
The Indoor Hard-Court event in Orleans is celebrating its 20th birthday this week and has been a showcase of tennis, culture and French tradition. This jubilee mile pole reflects the reputation of the organizers of the tournament that he goes further to offer a world -class experience for both players and fans.
“I wish I was 20! But it’s the tournament that is 20 years old,” said tournament director Didier Gerard with a smile, speaking in French in a video placed on the Co’met of Orléans Open YouTube -channel. “I never thought I would do so many tournaments. It is so complicated to organize an event like this, but thanks to the team we have managed to set up a great tournament every year.”
From the earliest days of the tournament, Gerard introduced something unique. Instead of simply organizing a tennis match, he tried to make an event that left a lasting impression, with French gastronomy woven into the tournament. Every day a renowned chef enters the kitchens to prepare top quality meals for players and customers. Under the distinguished culinary figures this week, Bernard Vaussion – a former chef of the Élysée Palace – who cooked for six French presidents for four decades.
No wonder that nearly 26,000 spectators are opened to the fellow orléans every year. Yet the Fan-Featurite event was not without its early growing pains, according to Gerard.
‘[In 2005]On the first day at 2 p.m. when I went to my wife, Séverine, I told her that the tournament is not going to work, “he remembered.” In my head I didn’t think it could complete me to complete the tournament at the end of the week because the boat took so much water. Everything did not go well, although I thought I had prepared everything in advance, but an event is completely different when you manage it than when you were a tennis player.
“Another memory that I like is on the last Sunday evening when my first partners told me:” It was great, can’t wait for next year! ” So I had water and fire in the same week.
Moreover, Art is also central to the unique identity of the tournament. Instead of a traditional trophy, each champion receives a painting on behalf of a local artist. Gerard was determined to make a price that would not be forgotten and stored in a dusty trophy cabinet.
Jubilate for @JAKEFARNLEY01 ??#AtpChallenger | @the_lta pic.twitter.com/qebz1cnwu3
– ATP Challenger Tour (@atpChallenger) September 29, 2024
Originally performed in the Vintage Palais des Sports, with its charm from the 1970s, the Orleans Challenger locations moved in 2023. The Challenger 125 event, for which former no. 4 Sebastien Grosjean is a tournament ambassador, has now been performed in the modern Arena Co’Met.
The Orleans Challenger has routinely welcomed an impressive Roster van Sterren, including Jannik Sinner, World No. 2, who participated there as an 18-year-old ranked no. 128 in the PIF ATP ranking in 2019. Jack Draper was a finalist in Orleans in 2023. Daniil Medvedev reached the quarterfinals of the Orleans in 2016, the same year that a semi-finer a semi-finer a semi-freeveer a semi-freeveer Runde ran a semi-finer. House favorites Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ugo Humbert have filled the stands.
In 2010, a memorable championship match took place between Nicolas Mahut and Grigor Dimitrov, the Bulgarian who was then 19 years old. Mahut saved a championship point and eventually won in a decisive tie-break.
In addition to exciting competitions such as that final of 2010, De Co’metal Orléans Open has supported a unique identity that has impressed players in the past two decades.
“Inevitable, when the players come to Orleans here, they think they are on an ATP 250 or even 500,” said Gerard. “If [Denis] Shapovalov said last year: “at least 250.” And David Goffin, a former champion and former top 10 player who is used to the largest locations in the world, told us it was the level of an ATP 500. ”
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