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World-class ATP 250 tennis tournament returns to Israel after 26 years

The top-20 ranked players internationally will compete in the daily tournament at the Expo Tel Aviv Complex starting on Sept. 25.

Tennis ball. Credit: Pixabay.
Tennis ball. Credit: Pixabay.

In welcome news for Israel’s sports and tennis fans, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) announced its new tournament in the ATP 250 category: The Tel Aviv Watergen Open 2022 will take place in Israel this fall, more than 26 years after the country last hosted a major tennis competition.

The top-tier tour for men is organized by ATP; its 250 tournaments consist of 28 or 32 players, with 20 (or 24) spots accepting ranked players.

The event will feature the world’s top-20 ranked players, who will compete in the daily tournament at the Expo Tel Aviv Complex starting on Sept. 25. Games will take a break for the holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Both singles and doubles finals will be held on Oct. 2, with players vying for nearly $1,200,000 in prize money.

The tournament is coming to Israel thanks to a joint effort by the Israel Tennis Association and Watergen, the competition’s official sponsor.

“We are very excited that a tournament of this magnitude is coming to Israel,” read a statement by the Israel Tennis Association. “This is a perfect opportunity for all tennis lovers in Israel to watch top-class players up close while enjoying a tremendous tennis experience.”

Watergen president Michael Mirilashvili expressed his excitement for the tournament.

“We have been working on this for a long time and are thrilled that our efforts to host a tennis tournament of this magnitude have paid off,” he said. “I’m sure that sports and tennis enthusiasts in Israel will enjoy an extraordinary experience.”

Details about the tournament, ticket sales, tournament schedule and more can be found on the tournament website at: www.tawo.co.il.

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