Located in the heart of the French Riviera, immersed between Nice and Cannes, surrounded by flowing hilltops, is a new ATP Challenger Tour event that has impressed all involved.
Sprawling across 30 acres of carefully planned landscape, the Mouratoglou Academy has hosted the inaugural Verrazzano Open.
This is no ordinary event or location. The academy, founded by renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou, offers world-class facilities; including 34 courts on differing surfaces, a 1000 seat centre court, a state of the art fitness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, a medical centre, and even a 4-star hotel on the grounds. This site could host the most prestigious tournaments, but at the same time can develop the stars of the future within the academy.
“I am extremely proud to announce the very first edition of the Verrazzano on the grounds of the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy. Everything has been done to ensure that this tournament meets international standards and is the pride of the Côte-d'Azur, a region that breathes tennis and which is so dear to me,” declared Mouratoglou.
“Ideally placed on the road to Roland Garros, this tournament will also be a springboard for the best young hopes in the world of tennis. A choice that will be part of my continued involvement with the younger generation for many years.”
The Sophia Antipolis Challenger has certainly attracted a strong calibre of player. World No. 40 Benoit Paire chose to ignite his clay court season on the academy grounds alongside former Top 10 player Nicolas Almagro.
The Verrazzano Open has incorporated the players into all aspects of the tournament, meanwhile providing a level of luxury and relaxation that will be hard to match. For example, Mathias Bourgue tested his baking skills with a pastry chef, while Almagro lent a hand at the Kids Day.
The players are relishing playing at this vibrant new event, offering glowing praise.
“I said to Patrick (Mouratoglou) ‘you have an amazing place here,’ the surfaces are really good,” revealed Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. “For me it’s one of the best Challengers I’ve been to.”
“Very good players are here, it’s a really strong tournament. All the players here want to start the clay court season well,” stated Almagro. “Patrick has done an amazing job with the academy, everything I see here is amazing. It’s also perfect for the kids here to learn and study the game.”
For Lukas Rosol the Verrazzano Open perfectly illustrates the development of the Challenger Tour and the fierce competition on offer at this level.
“I can only say good words about this tournament,” said Rosol. “This tournament is pretty comparable with an ATP 250 event, there is not much difference in the standard. I was a little bit injured at the beginning and end of last year, and I’ve realised that the level on the Challenger Tour has improved so much. I’ve been really surprised by the level of play in Challengers, it’s so tough to play and win these matches.”
The setting, the facilities, the competition, the Sophia Antipolis Challenger has set the bar high.
Watch free live stream of Saturday's semi-finals, as Aljaz Bedene battles Marco Cecchinato and top seed Paire faces Jozef Kovalik.