Former US Open champion among stars at new Dubrovnik WTA tournament
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Krešimir Šamija, Feliks Lukas, Ana Konjuh, Lucija Ćirić Bagarić, Dživo Brčić (Photo: Rene Karaman)
Dubrovnik will welcome world-class tennis later this month when the inaugural WTA Dubrovnik Open takes place from 23 to 29 March, bringing some of the sport’s top players to Croatia’s southern coast.
A total of ten players ranked inside the world’s Top 100 are set to compete in the first edition of the tournament, which will be held at the courts of the Tenis klub Dubrovnik in the Lapad district.
Among the headline names are Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a Grand Slam finalist and Olympic gold medallist in doubles.
Strong international and Croatian line-up
Tournament director Feliks Lukas announced the player field at a press conference in Zagreb, highlighting the strength of the inaugural line-up.
The tournament’s top seed will be Hungary’s Anna Bondar, while Croatia will be represented by Petra Marčinko, Tena Lukas, Ana Konjuh, and Lucija Ćirić Bagarić.
The event is part of the WTA 125 series and will be the first European tournament of the spring clay-court season on the professional women’s circuit.
Croatia will also host the closing event of that clay swing when the WTA Makarska Open takes place in early June.
(Photo: Rene Karaman)
Opportunity for Croatian players
Lukas said the tournament will provide an important opportunity for Croatian players to gain ranking points and match experience.
“This tournament will be an excellent chance for our players to collect points and build confidence, especially at a time when it can be difficult to enter tournaments,” he said.
He noted that the event could be particularly beneficial for Konjuh and Ćirić Bagarić, both from Dubrovnik, who will have the advantage of playing on home courts.
Konjuh said she was honoured to compete again in front of local fans.
“It has been a long time since I last played in Dubrovnik. It’s not nerves I feel, but a positive pressure. It’s always nicer to play in front of your own crowd,” she said.
Ana Konjuh and Lucija Ćirić Bagarić (Photo: Rene Karaman)
Boost for Dubrovnik and Croatian tourism
The tournament has strong backing from the City of Dubrovnik, which continues to position the famous Adriatic destination not only as a tourism hotspot but also as a growing sports destination.
Recent investment has included the reconstruction of the Lapad tennis courts, while plans are also in place to build a new multifunctional sports hall in the city.
Officials say international events such as the Dubrovnik Open will further promote Croatia globally, showcasing both its sporting facilities and tourism offer.
Croatia strengthening its position on the WTA calendar
The Dubrovnik tournament becomes Croatia’s second WTA event, alongside the Makarska tournament organised by Lukas and his team.
(Photo: Rene Karaman)
The Makarska event was recently voted the second-best tournament in the world in the WTA 125 category, according to player feedback collected by the Women’s Tennis Association.
Organisers hope the Dubrovnik Open will achieve similar recognition.
“We have organised more than 70 professional tournaments since 2013,” Lukas said. “We believe Dubrovnik can quickly become one of the top three WTA 125 tournaments in the world.”
Feliks Lukas (Photo: Rene Karaman)
A unique feature of the event is its proximity between accommodation and the courts. The newly opened Hotel Sumratin sits next to the main court, offering players and visitors views over the Adriatic Sea.
Lukas also called on Croatian fans to support the home players.
“It has been almost 30 years since a Croatian woman won a WTA tournament on home soil, since Mirjana Lučić. We hope this tournament can help change that,” he added.
