On 17-25 July 2021, Gdynia will play host to the biggest professional tennis tournament in Poland. The tournament will be a WTA 250 level event. Tennis Consulting will be working closely with the sanction owner, Octagon to deliver an exciting brand of tennis in an idyllic location by the Baltic sea. As a WTA 250 event, the tournament will have the possibility of welcoming the world’s best tennis players, including the potential of having a player from the WTA top 10.
After a ten year absence from the tri cities region, Tennis Consulting signed the long term agreement with Octagon, the leading sports and event company in the world to bring professional tennis back to the Polish seaside. This year, the prize money will be $235,000 and the event will take place at the Arka Gdynia Tennis Facility, a venue that is well known to Polish fans for hosting Davis and Fed Cup matches.
„We are very excited to have the opportunity to bring world class tennis to Gdynia. We are planning to organize an event that will become a strong brand within the tennis world and we look forward to welcoming the brightest tennis stars to Poland. Taking into consideration the global scope of this sport, I really hope that WTA 250 tournament in Gdynia will be a great advertisement of Poland outside its borders.” – Tomasz Świątek, Tennis Consulting Chairman of the Board.
„Gdynia has a beautiful tradition of hosting tennis tournaments. It is time to add a new chapter to this history. Thanks to Iga Świątek, tennis fans all around the world received a reminder about the strength of Polish tennis. Gdynia will try to live up to the world best tennis events. I truly believe that this tournament will display the highest excellence in every aspect.” – Wojciech Szczurek, mayor of Gdynia.
The WTA 250 in Gdynia is one of the thirty tournaments in this category on the WTA Tour. WTA tournaments are broadcasted in over 150 countries around the world.
„We are looking forward to bringing the WTA Tour back to Poland for the Gdynia WTA 250 which is certain to be a world class tournament,” said WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon. “Poland has a rich tennis history and has produced a number of prominent figures on the WTA, from Agnieszka Radwanska to the emerging star Iga Swiatek. We are confident that the tournament will be a great success through the great support of the incredible Polish fans.”
Marcin Matkowski will serve as the tournament director. As a former ATP, Olympic and Davis Cup player, Marcin will draw from his significant tennis experience to offer a great tennis event for players, fans and sponsors alike.
“We are glad to have concluded successful discussions with Octagon thus providing us with the opportunity to host a tournament of this caliber in Poland. The number of WTA sanctions, as well as the number of changes that can be made in the WTA Calendar, are highly limited, sparking a lot of interest from potential bidders. As a former player myself I am aware of how important it is to give the Polish players an opportunity to play in tournaments at this level. A good player performance in such an event can result in a ranking breakthrough” – Marcin Matkowski, Board Member of Tennis Consulting.
