"Our dream is to turn the World TEC CUP into the Under-14 Fast Track World Cup"

Punto de Break | 30 Aug 2024 | 13.30

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When a boy or a girl dreams of being a tennis player, they imagine themselves in major tournaments like Roland Garros or Wimbledon. To get there, one must take the first steps in children's tournaments where they can compete with the best players in their age range. In Spain, we are fortunate to have the World TEC Cup, a tournament for boys and girls up to 14 years old, aiming big to become a reference tournament worldwide, and starting this upcoming September 28, it will be held at the current location of TEC Carles Ferrer Salat, at the UP Club in Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona.

It is a unique opportunity to feel like a professional player, as this tournament provides everything that a professional circuit tournament can offer, with the difference that the protagonists, instead of Djokovic, Swiatek, Alcaraz, or Badosa, will be the future stars of the ATP/WTA circuit. For this upcoming edition, the World TEC Cup will be Category 1, one of the highest categories, but the dream is to upgrade to a Super Category by 2025, with all that entails. And the best part is, it will be held in Spain.

At Punto de Break, we spoke with Carla Roset, the tournament director, who provides more details about this tournament starting in just a month and aiming to become a reference not only in Spain but also in Europe and the rest of the world in a few years.

What does this World TEC Cup involve?

It is a tournament within the Tennis Europe circuit, a European circuit that includes various grades. There is a Super Category, the highest, followed by grades 1, 2, and 3. Ours is grade 1, but our goal is to be promoted to a Super Category by 2025. It is not confirmed yet, but if this year goes well, that possibility exists.

What does it mean to be a Super Category tournament?

There are only four of these tournaments in a year. It would be like becoming a Grand Slam for under 14s. What changes compared to the other grades are the requirements for organizing it, which are more demanding than in the lower grades. In this edition, we are even surpassing the requirements set for a Super Category. It is the closest thing to a professional tournament. We maintain the energy and spirit of a children's tournament but give it a professional touch.

What makes this tournament special so that the young players wouldn't want to miss it?

The organization of the tournament is like a mini professional tournament. In our tournament, we will have referees in all matches from the preliminary phase, electronic scoreboards on all courts, live streaming to follow the matches on all courts, stands on several courts. There will be a players' room for them to rest and study with fruits and drinks available for free throughout the tournament. They will also have their hospitality paid, including meals and the hotel. Ultimately, that is what sets it apart from other national tournaments. Additionally, they will have the chance to experience Barcelona; we will organize a sightseeing tour of the city, and the boys and girls can attend various sporting events such as matches from La Liga of Espanyol and Basketball (FCB and Joventut de Badalona) for free.

Who is it aimed at?

The idea is to attract at least the best players from Spain and Europe in the under 14 category, both boys and girls.
It will be held in September, a very special time of the year. All Super Category tournaments take place in the first four months of the year. Like Les Petit As, in January, this is a good date because all under 13 or first-year infant category players will want to come since this tournament offers many points that can help them qualify for Les Petit As.

I imagine it will also be a great draw for the audience, as they will get to see the future top tennis players from Spain and Europe.

Yes. We have prepared it for that purpose, with the stands. Having a tournament in Barcelona with the best rackets from Spain and Europe, I think, can be appealing. In a few years, some of these players that the audience can see now at the tournament will be among the top rackets in the world. It's always amusing when, after a few years, you see a player making a mark, knowing that you watched them live when they were starting out.

Where does it take place?

At the UP Club in Cornellà. This will be the venue for this year, but the plan is to host it from 2025 at the definitive venue of TEC Ferrer Salat, in Sant Just Desvern. We are building our definitive headquarters in an idyllic location situated in the largest metropolitan natural park in the world, the Collserola Natural Park. In 2025, we will also share a headquarters with the UP Club in Cornellà, magnificent facilities very close to our definitive location.

What are the dates?

The tournament begins the week of September 30, but the preliminary phase is played on the 28th and 29th. And from September 30 to October 6, the final phase. The deadline for registering for the tournament is September 3. Moreover, this is the last tournament that counts towards the under 14 Tennis Europe Masters in Monte Carlo.

That's coming up very soon. What do interested parties need to do to register?

Registration must always be done through the Tennis Europe website. The only requirement, in addition to the age, is to have an IPIN, which is the license required for the European circuit. On that website, they can search for the tournament they want to enter on the calendar and register for our tournament from there.

What goals do you set for the future?

It is ambitious, but in the short term, we would love for the tournament to become the Under 14 Outdoor World Championship. Les Petit As is considered the Under 14 World Championship, but indoors and takes place in January. We want to work hard to achieve that status, being the Under 14 World Championship, but on outdoor courts. We will reach agreements with different federations to make it a reality and become a tournament of global significance and reference.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Nuestro sueño es convertir la World TEC CUP en el Mundial Sub-14 de pista rápida"