Portugal Open, the country’s top tennis tournament which for 25 years brought word-class tennis players such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to Portugal will not be taking place in 2015.
In an emotional statement sent out to the press, João Lagos, the head of Portugal Open’s organising entity Lagos Sports, admitted he no longer has the necessary conditions to organise the ATP World Tour tournament, which was held on clay tennis courts at the Jamor sports complex in Oeiras.
“This was the longest tennis match I’ve ever played in my life,” he said of the struggles in trying to organise next year’s tournament.
“It reached its fifth and final set – with constant match-points for both me and my opponent – but no matter how many ‘winners’ I achieved during these 25 years, and there were many, I finally gave up, exhausted.”
It is being widely reported that the increasing popularity of tennis in more financially-powerful Asian countries could be the nub of the issue.
And while Lagos stressed how hard he fought for what was once known as the Estoril Open to stay on ATP’s World Tour calendar, it will be Portugal that ends up losing, as the tournament was “an event that strengthened the country’s image as a top destination”.
He added: “I just hope the same thing doesn’t happen to Rally Portugal.”
In the wake of Lagos’ announcement, the country’s FTP tennis association has been quick to confirm it is not in the business of organising events, while top players like João Sousa – who reached the 35th spot of the ATP Men’s ranking last July and is the only Portuguese national to win an ATP tournament – has admitted he is crushed by the news.
“If the Portugal Open ends, it will be a great loss,” he told Lusa.
“It’s Portugal’s main tennis tournament, where people who love the sport get a chance to see the world’s best players on court,” he added.
As everyone in the national tennis world agrees, unless another entity steps in to take over, it seems certain that the Portugal Open will be crossed off the ATP World Tour’s calendar.
Photo: Elena Vesnina of Russia in action at the Portugal Open held in Estoril in May
Crushing news for Portugal’s top tennis tournament
