Apr 21, 2020 | 2020, Barcelona, Five Things To Know
The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell started in 1953 and was a founding member of the ATP Tour in 1990. ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the ATP 500-level tournament.
Historic Venue
The Real Club de Tennis Barcelona 1899 is the oldest tennis club in Spain, established as the Barcelona Lawn Tennis Club by English families, shortly after the founding of the city’s world-famous football club. Situated in the north-west of Barcelona, the 18-court club has hosted the Trofeo Conde de Godo, named after Carlos Godo Valls, Count of Godo, since 1953. The silver trophy, weighing 13 kilograms and featuring miniature tennis players at the top, was designed by jewellers Soler Cabot.
American Victor Seixas beat Enrique Morea of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 22-20 in the 1953 final, which at 61 games is the most games in a singles final at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Today aged 96, Seixas is one of 10 players to have lifted the trophy without losing a set during the tournament week. The final was a best-of-five sets match until 2007.
In 1999, the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona celebrated its 100th anniversary, which was recognised by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I.
Gomez, A ‘Double’ Winner
With the reorganisation of the professional tennis calendar and the first ATP Tour in 1990, Andres Gomez travelled to Barcelona just seven months after beating Ivan Lendl and Horst Skoff for the title in September 1989. Upon retaining his title in April 1990, after beating Guillermo Perez-Roldan 6-0, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 over three hours, he broke into the Top 10, his highest position for more than two years. Fourth seed Gomez had saved four match points against Michiel Schapers in the opening round.
Afterwards, Gomez said he’d be donating $7,000 to homeless children in Ecuador. “I dedicate this victory to the people of my country.” The previous week, Gomez and his family had visited the Statuary of Fatima during the Estoril tournament. “We are a Catholic family and I made a promise to the Virgin Mary, when I asked her to help a family member and to give me strength to win the tournament,” said Gomez. “I will keep my promise and give $7,000 to homeless children in my country.”
Gomez added to his success by partnering Javier Sanchez to the doubles title with a 7-6(1), 7-5 victory over Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez. “This was the only doubles title – among the top clay-court titles – that I hadn’t won,” he said. “It was a good week.”
Gomez remains the last of nine ‘double’ champions, joining Seixas (1953), Tony Trabert (1954), Neale Fraser (1959), Roy Emerson (1963-64), Manuel Orantes (1969-70), Ilie Nastase (1973-74), Bjorn Borg (1975) and Ivan Lendl (1980) as winners of the singles and doubles titles in the same week.
Nadal, The Serial Champion
Rafael Nadal, who is one of seven left-handed singles champions in the 67-year history of the tournament, first appeared at the ATP 500-level event as a 16-year-old in 2003, when he lost to Alex Corretja 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round. Since then, his record — and across the entire Spring European clay-court swing, particularly — has been amazing. On 26 April 2017, the centre court was renamed ‘Pista Rafa Nadal’ and later that year, following his 10th Barcelona crown (d. Thiem), the then Tournament Director, Albert Costa, and Javier Godo presented Nadal with a 13kg silver replica of the trophy.
The 33-year-old has an outstanding 61-4 record, including 11 titles (2005-09, 2011-13, 2016-18). Between 2005 and 2014, Nadal compiled a 41-match winning streak in Barcelona, from a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Gilles Muller in the 2005 first round to a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 loss to Nicolas Almagro in the 2014 quarter-finals. On eight of his 11 title runs, Nadal has won the title without dropping a set (2005, 2007, 2011-13, 2016-18) and two years ago, he became the oldest winner at 31 years and 10 months.
Lopez Makes Most Singles Appearances
Feliciano Lopez has competed at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on 19 occasions (1998, 2001-12, 2014-19), with two back-to-back quarter-finals in 2011 (l. to Dodig) and 2012 (l. to Ferrer) being his best singles performances (21-19 match record). The Spaniard, who continues his playing career in addition to his work as Tournament Director of the Mutua Madrid Open, partnered Rafael Nadal to the 2005 Barcelona doubles final (l. to. Paes/Zimonjic), Marc Lopez to the 2012 final (l. to Fyrstenberg/Matkowski) and he finally lifted the team crown with Lopez in 2018 (d. Qureshi/Rojer). The 2004 Barcelona singles champion Tommy Robredo (17), 1969 and 1971 titlist Orantes and Albert Montanes (16) are in second and tied-third positions on the list of most tournament appearances.
ACES For Charity
Banc Sabadell, the tournament’s title sponsor, has given $50 for every ace served by a singles player during Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell since 2008, raising €260,000 ($283,000). The money has been donated to 36 different charities, including: Special Olympics; UNICEF Catalonia, Nelson Mandela Foundation and Lionel Messi Foundation. Last year, €25,000 ($27,000) was donated to five charities, the Fundación El Gancho, Fundación Emilio Sánchez Vicario, Asociación Valenciana de Caridad, Fundación Ana Carolina Díez Mahou y “El Legado de Maria de Villota” y Fundación ChAc. On average, the number of aces hit per tournament edition has been 470, with a record 634 aces struck in 2008.
Apr 21, 2020 | 2020, Barcelona, Five Things To Know
The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell started in 1953 and was a founding member of the ATP Tour in 1990. ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the ATP 500-level tournament.
Historic Venue
The Real Club de Tennis Barcelona 1899 is the oldest tennis club in Spain, established as the Barcelona Lawn Tennis Club by English families, shortly after the founding of the city’s world-famous football club. Situated in the north-west of Barcelona, the 18-court club has hosted the Trofeo Conde de Godo, named after Carlos Godo Valls, Count of Godo, since 1953. The silver trophy, weighing 13 kilograms and featuring miniature tennis players at the top, was designed by jewellers Soler Cabot.
American Victor Seixas beat Enrique Morea of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 22-20 in the 1953 final, which at 61 games is the most games in a singles final at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Today aged 96, Seixas is one of 10 players to have lifted the trophy without losing a set during the tournament week. The final was a best-of-five sets match until 2007.
In 1999, the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona celebrated its 100th anniversary, which was recognised by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I.
Gomez, A ‘Double’ Winner
With the reorganisation of the professional tennis calendar and the first ATP Tour in 1990, Andres Gomez travelled to Barcelona just seven months after beating Ivan Lendl and Horst Skoff for the title in September 1989. Upon retaining his title in April 1990, after beating Guillermo Perez-Roldan 6-0, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 over three hours, he broke into the Top 10, his highest position for more than two years. Fourth seed Gomez had saved four match points against Michiel Schapers in the opening round.
Afterwards, Gomez said he’d be donating $7,000 to homeless children in Ecuador. “I dedicate this victory to the people of my country.” The previous week, Gomez and his family had visited the Statuary of Fatima during the Estoril tournament. “We are a Catholic family and I made a promise to the Virgin Mary, when I asked her to help a family member and to give me strength to win the tournament,” said Gomez. “I will keep my promise and give $7,000 to homeless children in my country.”
Gomez added to his success by partnering Javier Sanchez to the doubles title with a 7-6(1), 7-5 victory over Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez. “This was the only doubles title – among the top clay-court titles – that I hadn’t won,” he said. “It was a good week.”
Gomez remains the last of nine ‘double’ champions, joining Seixas (1953), Tony Trabert (1954), Neale Fraser (1959), Roy Emerson (1963-64), Manuel Orantes (1969-70), Ilie Nastase (1973-74), Bjorn Borg (1975) and Ivan Lendl (1980) as winners of the singles and doubles titles in the same week.
Nadal, The Serial Champion
Rafael Nadal, who is one of seven left-handed singles champions in the 67-year history of the tournament, first appeared at the ATP 500-level event as a 16-year-old in 2003, when he lost to Alex Corretja 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round. Since then, his record — and across the entire Spring European clay-court swing, particularly — has been amazing. On 26 April 2017, the centre court was renamed ‘Pista Rafa Nadal’ and later that year, following his 10th Barcelona crown (d. Thiem), the then Tournament Director, Albert Costa, and Javier Godo presented Nadal with a 13kg silver replica of the trophy.
The 33-year-old has an outstanding 61-4 record, including 11 titles (2005-09, 2011-13, 2016-18). Between 2005 and 2014, Nadal compiled a 41-match winning streak in Barcelona, from a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Gilles Muller in the 2005 first round to a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 loss to Nicolas Almagro in the 2014 quarter-finals. On eight of his 11 title runs, Nadal has won the title without dropping a set (2005, 2007, 2011-13, 2016-18) and two years ago, he became the oldest winner at 31 years and 10 months.
Lopez Makes Most Singles Appearances
Feliciano Lopez has competed at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on 19 occasions (1998, 2001-12, 2014-19), with two back-to-back quarter-finals in 2011 (l. to Dodig) and 2012 (l. to Ferrer) being his best singles performances (21-19 match record). The Spaniard, who continues his playing career in addition to his work as Tournament Director of the Mutua Madrid Open, partnered Rafael Nadal to the 2005 Barcelona doubles final (l. to. Paes/Zimonjic), Marc Lopez to the 2012 final (l. to Fyrstenberg/Matkowski) and he finally lifted the team crown with Lopez in 2018 (d. Qureshi/Rojer). The 2004 Barcelona singles champion Tommy Robredo (17), 1969 and 1971 titlist Orantes and Albert Montanes (16) are in second and tied-third positions on the list of most tournament appearances.
ACES For Charity
Banc Sabadell, the tournament’s title sponsor, has given $50 for every ace served by a singles player during Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell since 2008, raising €260,000 ($283,000). The money has been donated to 36 different charities, including: Special Olympics; UNICEF Catalonia, Nelson Mandela Foundation and Lionel Messi Foundation. Last year, €25,000 ($27,000) was donated to five charities, the Fundación El Gancho, Fundación Emilio Sánchez Vicario, Asociación Valenciana de Caridad, Fundación Ana Carolina Díez Mahou y “El Legado de Maria de Villota” y Fundación ChAc. On average, the number of aces hit per tournament edition has been 470, with a record 634 aces struck in 2008.
Apr 20, 2020 | 2020, ATP Heritage, Barcelona, Nicolas Almagro
Rafael Nadal arrived at the 2014 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell quarter-finals on a 41-match winning streak at the event, and he was also the World No. 1. The lefty had won all 10 of his previous ATP Head2Head matches against his opponent, Nicolas Almagro. In those clashes, Almagro claimed only two sets.
However, Nadal had lost in the quarter-finals of the recent Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters against David Ferrer, and he was upset in the Round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open by Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Almagro carried no apprehension into their battle, and it paid dividends. Despite losing the first set, Almagro rallied for a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory to end the top seed’s Barcelona winning streak.
“It was tough because the court was a little bit windy and it’s really difficult to play with those kind of conditions,” Almagro told Tennis TV. “But I think I played really good tennis with a lot of power and I was very focussed. Finally I beat Rafa. The last game was really tough. Many things were in my head. I’m very happy.”
[TTV CLASSICS]
Almagro had previously lost against Nadal in Barcelona twice — in the 2006 semi-finals and the 2013 final.
“You try to think in another part of your tennis. It is better not to think about that kind of statistic,” Almagro said. “I think the last times I played really tough matches and I had many chances. I tried to play my tennis and finally I could beat him.”
Nadal seemed in control after taking the first set. Even with Almagro winning the match, Nadal won eight more points than his countryman (110-102). But Almagro hung on under pressure, saving 13 of the 18 break points he faced before ultimately triumphing in two hours and 47 minutes.
[TENNIS AT HOME]
“It’s the sport, that’s it, nothing else. Obviously it’s not the happiest day for me, but obviously I never felt that I was going to win here so many matches in a row,” Nadal said. “That’s part of this sport. Today was not my day. I felt that I did a lot of things well to win the match. But at the end remained a little bit [short], and that’s it. [I] just [have to] accept the situation and keep fighting.”
Almagro lost in the semi-finals against Colombian Santiago Giraldo, but he left Barcelona with a victory to remember. Almagro retired in April 2019, and he’d never win another match against Nadal, who dominated their rivalry 15-1.
“I’m very happy with my tennis today,” Almagro said. “I think I played a really good match against the best player on that surface and that victory could be a really important victory in my career.”
Apr 20, 2020 | 2020, ATP Heritage, Barcelona, Nicolas Almagro
Rafael Nadal arrived at the 2014 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell quarter-finals on a 41-match winning streak at the event, and he was also the World No. 1. The lefty had won all 10 of his previous ATP Head2Head matches against his opponent, Nicolas Almagro. In those clashes, Almagro claimed only two sets.
However, Nadal had lost in the quarter-finals of the recent Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters against David Ferrer, and he was upset in the Round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open by Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Almagro carried no apprehension into their battle, and it paid dividends. Despite losing the first set, Almagro rallied for a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory to end the top seed’s Barcelona winning streak.
“It was tough because the court was a little bit windy and it’s really difficult to play with those kind of conditions,” Almagro told Tennis TV. “But I think I played really good tennis with a lot of power and I was very focussed. Finally I beat Rafa. The last game was really tough. Many things were in my head. I’m very happy.”
[TTV CLASSICS]
Almagro had previously lost against Nadal in Barcelona twice — in the 2006 semi-finals and the 2013 final.
“You try to think in another part of your tennis. It is better not to think about that kind of statistic,” Almagro said. “I think the last times I played really tough matches and I had many chances. I tried to play my tennis and finally I could beat him.”
Nadal seemed in control after taking the first set. Even with Almagro winning the match, Nadal won eight more points than his countryman (110-102). But Almagro hung on under pressure, saving 13 of the 18 break points he faced before ultimately triumphing in two hours and 47 minutes.
[TENNIS AT HOME]
“It’s the sport, that’s it, nothing else. Obviously it’s not the happiest day for me, but obviously I never felt that I was going to win here so many matches in a row,” Nadal said. “That’s part of this sport. Today was not my day. I felt that I did a lot of things well to win the match. But at the end remained a little bit [short], and that’s it. [I] just [have to] accept the situation and keep fighting.”
Almagro lost in the semi-finals against Colombian Santiago Giraldo, but he left Barcelona with a victory to remember. Almagro retired in April 2019, and he’d never win another match against Nadal, who dominated their rivalry 15-1.
“I’m very happy with my tennis today,” Almagro said. “I think I played a really good match against the best player on that surface and that victory could be a really important victory in my career.”
Apr 20, 2020 | Alexander Zverev, Barcelona, Dominic Thiem, Off Court News
Editor’s Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 21 April 2019.
Before they hit the tennis courts at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem hit the football field on Sunday to meet the players of FC Barcelona.
The second and third seeds at the ATP 500 event, respectively, toured the grounds of the Ciutat Esportiva. Gerard Pique and other team members promised to return the favour and visit the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899 to catch the ATP Tour action this week.
“I think everyone who comes from Germany has to be a soccer fan,” joked Zverev. “[Meeting] some of the players was very exciting. This is one of the best clubs in the world, so to see how they function and see the practice grounds was amazing.”
Thiem was among the players who attended Saturday’s league game between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad. They also had the chance to meet the club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu.
“I love football and I just met some of the best players in the world. They’re all really nice,” said Thiem. “It was good to experience the practice grounds and the game yesterday, so it couldn’t be better for a football fan like me.”
Zverev will start his week against Nicolas Jarry of Chile or Marcel Granollers of Spain, while Thiem begins his Barcelona campaign against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan or Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.
Apr 20, 2020 | Alexander Zverev, Barcelona, Dominic Thiem, Off Court News
Editor’s Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 21 April 2019.
Before they hit the tennis courts at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem hit the football field on Sunday to meet the players of FC Barcelona.
The second and third seeds at the ATP 500 event, respectively, toured the grounds of the Ciutat Esportiva. Gerard Pique and other team members promised to return the favour and visit the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899 to catch the ATP Tour action this week.
“I think everyone who comes from Germany has to be a soccer fan,” joked Zverev. “[Meeting] some of the players was very exciting. This is one of the best clubs in the world, so to see how they function and see the practice grounds was amazing.”
Thiem was among the players who attended Saturday’s league game between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad. They also had the chance to meet the club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu.
“I love football and I just met some of the best players in the world. They’re all really nice,” said Thiem. “It was good to experience the practice grounds and the game yesterday, so it couldn’t be better for a football fan like me.”
Zverev will start his week against Nicolas Jarry of Chile or Marcel Granollers of Spain, while Thiem begins his Barcelona campaign against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan or Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.
