Antwerp, September 19, 2023 – Following Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP-5) and Dominic Thiem (ATP-73), the European Open has announced several new big names: Jannik Sinner (winner in 2021, ATP-7), former world number 3 Grigor Dimitrov (ATP-20), David Goffin (ATP-100), and Sebastian Korda (2022 finalist) are confirmed participants.
“In addition to the world’s number five player Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem, we have once again managed to bring top tennis stars to Antwerp. Jannik Sinner (22) has climbed to the seventh place in the world rankings. He secured his first career Masters title by winning the top tournament in Toronto in August. Two years ago, he won the final in Antwerp with impressive tennis”, says tournament director Dick Norman. He is also extremely popular among Belgian tennis fans.”
“I am also very pleased with the arrival of Grigor Dimitrov (ATP-20), the former world number three, who always guarantees entertainment, high-level tennis, and sportsmanship. He hopes to do better in Antwerp this year than his semifinal appearance in 2020 and certainly starts as one of the favourites”, emphasizes Dick Norman.
“This year, we will once again have a strong presence of Belgian tennis talent on the court. Last year, one of the highlights was the match between David Goffin and Gilles-Arnaud Bailly, who made his ATP debut in Antwerp at the age of 17. Both are back. David Goffin receives a wildcard for the main draw. We also continue to support Next Gen players, and Alexander Blockx and Gilles-Arnaud Bailly will receive wildcards for the qualifiers. Alexander Blockx, who, as the junior Australian Open champion, continues to make progress this year, will give his best performance in the Lotto Arena”, adds Norman.
The 23-year-old Sebastian Korda (ATP-33) stands out on the participant list. The American was in the final against Auger-Aliassime in Antwerp last year. Korda almost created a fairy tale at the Australian Open earlier this year when he defeated seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev and tenth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz to reach the quarterfinals.
We aim for a good mix of young talent and established players in this eighth edition, as has been the successful recipe for the European Open for years”, says Kristoff Puelinckx, CEO of Tennium. “We continue to grow at a rapid pace, and players and sponsors alike feel that they are part of an ambitious whole.”
“We can already see that Stefanos Tsitsipas will be a huge draw for the audience. Our investment in a top 5 player is taking the tournament to a different level this year. This is evident from the ticket sales, which are running like a bullet train, and our hospitality already surpasses last year’s sales. We can only urge tennis fans to buy their tickets as soon as possible to ensure they are part of it, as the weekend is already more than 90% sold out”, says Ilse Van Parys, Event Director of the European Open.
A top day to look forward to is Thursday, October 19, when all our seeded players, including our top seed Tsitispas, will start at 7 pm.
As always, we are focusing on creating an exciting experience both on and off the court, including various theme days. New this year is ‘tennis for life’ on Saturday, where fans can play tennis and win a significant amount for a charity of their choice.
Ethias Next Gen Day: Inspiration Day for Belgian Tennis Talents On Sunday
October 15, the European Open will host the Ethias Next Gen Day. This event provides emerging young tennis players from Belgium with valuable insights into pursuing a professional tennis career. During the day, parents and children have the opportunity to ask all their questions about a possible professional career to tennis experts, managers, and coaches.
“Antwerp is the sports capital of Flanders. Our city owes this status to traditional top events like the European Open. This fixture on the busy Antwerp sports calendar has become a constant. Tennis truly has a home in the city on the Scheldt. We are proud to announce another strong edition that will appeal to tennis lovers from near and far”, says Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever.
“With the trilogy of the Gymnastics World Championships, European Open, and Antwerp Marathon, it’s a busy time for sports in Antwerp, but this sports alderman and enthusiast can’t get enough of it”, says Antwerp Sports Alderman Peter Wouters. “With the eighth edition approaching, we are engaged in a high-quality and captivating rally that lasts much longer than an average rally on the court. The European Open and the city of Antwerp are a winning combination, but perhaps the audience is the biggest winner. All tennis fans can admire and be inspired by the finely tuned artists who serve up a week of top-level tennis in the Lotto Arena.”
“Flemish top athletes are shining all over the world, but our organization of sports events is also acclaimed beyond our borders. When all of this comes together, as it does at the European Open in Antwerp, it promises to be a spectacular event”, says Flemish Minister of Sport Ben Weyts. “With more top players every year, this event inspires many Flemish sports enthusiasts to come and watch and to step onto the tennis court themselves. It is pure promotion for the sport of tennis and a great experience for Flemish tennis players to compete in such a tournament in front of a home crowd.”
