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SP Open
Tennis tournament From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The SP Open, also known as the São Paulo Open and WTA 250 SP Open,[1] is a professional women's tennis tournament that debuted in 2025 as part of the WTA 250 series. It is held in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Parque Villa-Lobos on outdoor hardcourts in September.[2] The tournament marks the return of a WTA–level event to São Paulo since 2000 when the Brasil Open was last held [1] and Brazil in general since 2016, when the Rio Open and the Brasil Tennis Cup were last held.[3][4][5] It replaced the Jasmin Open in Monastir on the WTA tournaments calendar[1] and was the first professional tennis tournament organized at the Villa-Lobos Park since the Aberto de São Paulo in 2014.
The tournament will happen from 2025 through at least 2027 and including night sessions. Backed by Mubadala and IMG, the event aims to promote South American women’s tennis. Organizers plan infrastructure improvements and affordable ticket pricing to encourage public attendance.[6]
The SP Open is the highest–level women's tennis professional tour tournament in Brazil, and one of the three tournaments outside of the ITF Women's circuit, alongside the MundoTenis Open and the Rio Ladies Open.
Although the SP Open is currently a WTA 250, the organizers have stated they plan to have its level upgraded in the future to become a WTA 500 tournament.[7][8]
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History
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Background
Brazil has a history of hosting WTA tournaments, with events like the Rio Open, which included both men's and women's draws from 2014 to 2016, and the Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianópolis, held from 2013 to 2016.[4][5][9] São Paulo last hosted a significant women's tennis event in 2000, making the SP Open the city's first WTA tournament in 25 years.[5][10] The absence of WTA events in Brazil since 2016 prompted efforts by organizers, particularly IMM,[11] the company behind the Rio Open, to bring professional women's tennis back to the country.[4][12]
In 2023, Florianópolis hosted a WTA 125 event at the Super9 Tennis Park called MundoTenis Open.[13] In 2024, the WTA confirmed that two additional WTA 125 tournaments would be held in Brazil: one in São Paulo at the Esporte Clube Pinheiros from October 21 to 27 (which was cancelled last minute due to lack of sponsorships[14][15]), and the second edition of the MundoTenis Open.[16] These events set the stage for the announcement of the higher-tier WTA 250 SP Open in 2025.
Announcement and organization
On April 30 2025, IMM, in partnership with the Instituto Carioca de Tênis (ICT), announced the SP Open, a WTA 250 tournament to be held at Parque Villa-Lobos in São Paulo from September 6 to 14, 2025.[4][12][17][18] The tournament would be played on hard courts, with the qualifying rounds scheduled for September 6 and 7, and the main draw from September 8 to 14.[4][12][19] The event would feature a 32-player singles main draw, a 24-player qualifying draw, and a 16-team doubles draw.[4][12]
The tournament's slot in the WTA calendar, immediately following the US Open, was secured by leasing a September date owned by IMG and Mubadala Capital.[4][12] IMM, known for organizing the Rio Open, a prominent ATP 500 event, leveraged its experience and the ICT's support, which includes securing funding through incentive laws, to establish the SP Open.[4][12][17] The announcement was widely covered by Brazilian media, highlighting the event's significance for tennis in the region.[5][10][9][19]
Significance and impact
The SP Open is the first WTA 250 tournament in Brazil since 2016, filling a gap in the country's professional tennis calendar.[4][5][9] It is also São Paulo's most significant women's tennis event since 2000, when the city last hosted a comparable tournament.[5][12] The event was expected to attract top players, including Brazilian star Beatriz Haddad Maia, offering her a chance to compete on home soil.[19][17]
Local authorities, including São Paulo Mayor Ricardo Nunes, emphasized the tournament's economic and social benefits, such as job creation, increased tax revenue, and the promotion of tennis among young athletes.[12][5] The choice of Parque Villa-Lobos, one of the city's largest green spaces, enhanced the event's appeal, providing a scenic backdrop for fans and players.[12][10] The tournament was anticipated to stimulate the growth of women's tennis in Brazil, which has been described as currently underdeveloped, and to inspire new generations of players.[12][9]
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Tournament details
- Venue: Parque Villa-Lobos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Surface: Hard
- Draw: 32 singles, 24 qualifying, 16 doubles
- Category: WTA 250
- Organizers: IMM, in partnership with Instituto Carioca de Tênis (ICT)
Courts
The SP Open feature pre-existing courts that were already in use by the Villa-Lobos park visitors, that got renovated to be used by the tournament and later on by the general public.[20]
They are the three training courts, courts one, two and three and also the three courts used for playing, courts one and two and the Maria Esther Bueno center court which has a seating capacity of 2.500[20] and honors tennis hall of famer Maria Esther Bueno[21], the most successful Brazilian tennis player in history.[22][23]
All courts are painted in navy blue and purple colors.[24]
Events
Past finals
Singles
Doubles
Trophies
Designed by the jeweler Ara Vartanian, the SP Open trophy is inspired by the “Marco Zero”, the geographical and symbolic heart of the city of São Paulo. To build the trophy, it took 4 months of work from a team of 7 people. The trophy weights 10KG and its dimensions are 53 cm x 53 cm x 25 cm.[25]
References
External links
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