ABN AMRO Open to launch wheelchair tennis tournament for women in 2023
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Next year, ABN AMRO will organise a wheelchair tennis tournament for women for the first time as part of the ABN AMRO Open. The new tournament, an ABN AMRO initiative, will be fully integrated into the existing tennis and wheelchair tennis tournament for men. This will make the 50th edition of the tennis tournament – and the 15th of the wheelchair tennis tournament – even more special. Sander Bestevaar of ABN AMRO: “This is an important step in the development of women’s wheelchair tennis, propelling us faster down the path towards equal opportunities.”
ABN AMRO believes that equal ambition deserves equal coverage. And that’s why the ABN AMRO Open’s partner is taking this step, integrating a wheelchair tennis tournament for women into the world’s largest indoor tennis tournament. Wheelchair tennis is really starting to flourish, and top players make great role models for the younger generation. This tournament is the way to reach those fans. It’s a way for ABN AMRO to help accelerate the transition to a world (of sports) that offers equal opportunities to all.
“It’s fantastic that there will be a women’s wheelchair tennis tournament,” says Esther Vergeer, former tennis champion and director of the wheelchair tennis tournaments at the ABN AMRO Open. “We have so many strong female players in the Netherlands. Diede de Groot is even the current number 1 in the world rankings. It’s brilliant that we can give her a place to shine in our own country. The ABN AMRO Open is once again leading the way by offering men and women equal opportunities. Hopefully others will follow suit.”
Getting there gradually
Fifteen years ago, on its own initiative ABN AMRO added a wheelchair tennis tournament for men to the ABN AMRO Open. It was a great success: within the sport the tournament is now often referred to as the “5th Grand Slam”. It’s an opportunity for elite players to showcase their skills before a global audience. This was more than enough motivation for ABN AMRO to create an equal platform for women’s wheelchair tennis, with a brand-new tournament. The ABN AMRO Open will take place from 11 to 19 February 2023 at the Rotterdam Ahoy venue.
“Equal opportunities, that’s an important topic at ABN AMRO,” says Head of Sponsoring and Events Sander Bestevaar. “And so we are really thrilled that we can add a wheelchair tennis tournament for women to the ABN AMRO Open. This is an important step in the development of women’s wheelchair tennis, propelling us faster down the path towards equal opportunities. And we are particularly proud that our own crown jewel Diede de Groot can now shine on home soil.”
Elite tennis
ABN AMRO has been a partner of the ABN AMRO Open organised by Rotterdam Ahoy for fifty years, making this the longest-running sponsor relationship in the ATP Tour. The ABN AMRO Open (formerly the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and World Wheelchair Tennis Tournament) now consists of three tournaments: the men’s tennis tournament with Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek as director, and the men’s and women’s wheelchair tennis tournaments. International tennis stars come to Rotterdam for each of the tournaments – along with tens of thousands of tennis fans from home and abroad.
Complete sports event
There is much more to do at the ABN AMRO Open besides enjoy the matches. Visitors can try all kinds of activities around the themes of Connect, Taste, Experience and Impact. So there’s plenty to do to make this a truly special day out. And it’s a fantastic way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the tennis tournament and the 15th year of the men’s wheelchair tennis tournament.