The event, presented by the Sports Director of the EFE Agency, Luis Villarejo, brought together institutional representatives, federations, former professional tennis players and prominent members of the sports industry.
The inaugural intervention was made by José Moya, director of LALIGA Business School, who highlighted the institution’s commitment to education as an essential part of its DNA, as well as its responsibility in promoting the development of talent in the sports industry, generating it and contributing to its projection in all areas of the sector.
Subsequently, Pepe Ortiz, general director of MADCUP, and Ignacio Benzal, director of MADCUP TENNIS, spoke, highlighting the project’s firm commitment to education in values. Pepe Ortiz highlighted the importance of building a competition that promotes the comprehensive development of young people, highlighting that team coexistence and the distribution of responsibilities contribute to improving pressure management and competitiveness, thus favoring the personal growth of athletes.
Ignacio Benzal highlighted the innovative nature of the tournament, conceived as a proposal that introduces the team format in a traditionally individual and especially mentally demanding sport. The tournament will be held by invitation, with the expectation of exceeding 800 matches on more than 70 courts over four days of competition, with the particularity that all participants will enjoy the experience until the end of the tournament, regardless of their results. Mixed teams will participate, composed of two boys and one girl per category, in the under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18 categories, with a clear international vocation and growth perspective.
The international dimension of the project was reflected with the participation of the president of the Porto Tennis Federation, Antonio Paes de Faria, who valued the tournament as an opportunity to promote coexistence between players and clubs from different countries and pointed out that it was more than a competition for them because of the care and values of MADCUP with its tournaments.
During the event, a round table focused on the importance of the dual career was held, moderated by Luis Villarejo, in which Jordi Tamayo, member of the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and president of the Catalan Tennis Federation, participated; Carmen Gallardo professional tennis player; Joao Sousa, professional tennis player; Rafael González, commercial manager of Sports Summit Madrid; José Moya, director of LALIGA Business School.
During the debate, the participants analyzed the transition process from grassroots to professional tennis, the relevance of the athlete’s environment and the need to make the sports career compatible with academic training. Likewise, they agreed to highlight the educational value of tennis, especially in the area of emotional management, as well as the importance of generating experiences that allow young people to enjoy the sport by reducing competitive pressure.
In this context, José Moya linked the concept of a dual career with the training offer of LALIGA Business School and announced a new edition of the MBA developed together with the ATP, aimed at elite athletes. He also highlighted the work carried out by the institution to train future sports managers and provide professionals with the necessary tools to continue developing their careers within the industry.
The project has the support of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) and the Madrid Tennis Federation (FTM). To conclude the meeting, their respective presidents, Miguel Díaz and Tati Rascón, highlighted the fundamental role of the clubs in the development of grassroots tennis and agreed that the tournament aligns with the values promoted by both institutions. Likewise, they highlighted the strength of the Spanish tennis ecosystem, the high competitive level of its players and the relevance of initiatives that contribute to its development from the base.
The event closed with a joint photograph of all the participants, putting the finishing touch to a day that served to officially present the project and bring together different key actors in the sector. With this first edition, which will be held from June 25 to 28 in the Community of Madrid, MADCUP TENNIS aims to progressively position itself as a prominent event within the international grassroots tennis calendar.
