“The list of players who will participate in this year's Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag tournament has not been finalized yet. We will have the final list in ten days, but we can already say that we will have a star-studded line-up. Marin Čilić, Holger Rune, Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem have confirmed their participation as players who in recent years achieved great results in the biggest tournaments and were at the very top of the ATP list. There will be some other very interesting names, and we will certainly follow with great interest the current winner of the junior French Open in Roland Garros, Dino Prižmić, who is hopefully the next Croatian tennis superstar. We sent him one of the three invitations to the main tournament, just like last year, which was his première in competitions of this level,” said tournament director Tomislav Poljak.
Goran Ivanišević stated that we have been waiting for more than a decade for some of the current Grand Slam winners to play in our tournament. “Many Grand Slam winners played in Umag, such as Novak Đoković, Rafael Nadal, Thomas Muster, Carlos Moya, and I am also on that list, but they all won those titles after playing in the tournament. Now we have three reigning Grand Slam winners and that says something. I think we are in for another week of top tennis, because Čilić, Wawrinka, and Thiem are world-class players, and when we add one of the biggest young tennis stars, Holger Rune, the list looks even better. Hurry up and get your tickets, because I think they will sell out very quickly for the semi-finals and finals, so don't say I didn't tell you,” Ivanišević pointed out.
The tradition of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag tournament has long been recognized in the world of tennis, and is also a significant promoter of tourism. The organiser and main sponsor is Plava Laguna d.d. Dragan Pujas, President of the Board of Plava Laguna, said: “Plava Laguna further increased its investment in the tournament this year. This tournament is an example of how to hold an event at the highest possible level, and how we are a reliable partner and host of sports events. Secondly, by organising a tournament like this, we contribute at a high level to the development and promotion of the destination where we do our business, which is of utmost importance to us. We can proudly say that the Umag tennis matches are broadcast all over the world via the ATP Media platform, and are watched annually by more than 7 million viewers, with 2 thousand hours of TV broadcasts on at least 35 large international TV networks on five continents,” said Pujas of the promotional value of the tournament for Croatia as a destination.
This year in Umag, we will see a number of great tennis players, who will be the reason why many tourists will visit Croatia, which will then win them over with its beauty and offer. “The Croatian Tourist Board is a proud partner of the tournament this year as well, which will bring the world's tennis elite to Croatia, Istria and Umag, as well as numerous fans of travel, sports, and good entertainment. This oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in Croatia will once again be the best promoter of our country and additionally position it on the sports and tourism map of the world. I am sure that a large audience, as well as established players and new stars of this sport, will enjoy Umag, while for the at-home spectators, it will be an additional reason and motivation to visit Istria,” said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
Umag has been the proud host of the ATP tournament since 1990, and at the same time a great supporter of the competition buildings a great tradition from season to season. The Mayor of Umag, Vili Bassanese, said: “As the mayor of Umag, I am extremely proud that Umag has been hosting this world-renowned sports and entertainment spectacle for 33 years. Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag turns our city into a centre of tennis, entertainment and gastronomic events, thanks to which Umag is promoted worldwide as one of the most desirable destinations.”
In addition to the players in the main tournament, during the main tournament, 600 recreational players will compete in side tournaments in Umag, such as the traditional VIP tournament, the HEPi tournament, the Umag Stars Open and the ITF wheelchair tennis tournament, and the Road to Umag, a series of tournaments around Croatia that has its final at the Umag tournament, will also see its instalment this year. Check out the full tournament program here.
