This is how we experienced the Rotterdam tournament from the inside

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Life is made up of days, and it is essential to make the most of it by doing what we are passionate about. With that mindset, I applied weeks ago for press accreditation to travel to ATP Rotterdam 2026. Let me tell you in detail about the specifics of the Dutch event and the experiences lived during a few frenetic days.

Many fans may wonder what it's like to experience a tournament with press accreditation. This privilege, which we sometimes take for granted, arouses great curiosity among fans of this sport, and it is worth trying to convey what was experienced through these lines, just a few hours after landing from the journey through the Netherlands. Punto de Break is present at every major tournament held in Spain, but it is not as common to go abroad to cover a tournament like ATP 500 Rotterdam 2026, where exciting situations were experienced.

With the usual cleanliness and reliability in the Dutch country, the accreditation process is smooth and efficient. Confirmation via email without the need to provide anything special, instant pick-up at the tournament facilities, a modern and giant pavilion, the Ahoy Arena, equipped with all kinds of leisure facilities, catering, and tennis-related shops. I arrived in Rotterdam on Wednesday, February 18, and when I entered the club, I began to thoroughly explore the space where the journalists would move to carry out our work.

The Rotterdam tournament hides fascinating secrets for every tennis lover

Access to all competition courts, the possibility of seeing the training courts in a restricted area where only players, coaches, and tournament staff can be, a spacious room to work on our reports, and the mixed zone, the blessed mixed zone. A place of longing and constant pilgrimage for journalists, this is where we can interview players after their matches. Most accredited media are Dutch, but there are also some French, some Danish working for international media, a prestigious Chinese journalist. In short, a melting pot of cultures striving to find compelling stories among the players.

I run into Bublik completely exhausted, sweaty, with the tension of his match against Hurkacz palpable on his face. He manages to resolve it in 2 and a half hours, and I can't hide my amazement when I see him heading straight to a training court, dragging his coach, asking him to train for about 20 minutes or half an hour. Immediately after, he goes to the gym. Gone are the times when the Kazakh seemed to trivialize the importance of tennis. The secret to his current success is nothing more than unprecedented work and ambition.

After interviewing Jorge Aguirre, Medjedovic's coach, whom I ran into in the tournament corridors, I chat with Dutch colleagues, who are immersed in a whirlwind of work and exchanging comments in small groups. I show interest in the matter, and I am astonished when they tell me about the internal turmoil that has arisen in Dutch tennis due to comments exchanged between Griekspoor and De Jong. They are excited about the news and share their impressions. The journalistic gene knows no borders.

Munar, Tsitsipas, or De Miñaur are just some of those who pass by our microphones in Rotterdam

On Thursday, I arrive at the club early in the morning. I won't say that I am the one opening the stadium, but close to it. I enjoy the silence of the courts, the first players' training sessions, the calm before the storm. In the first match, Jaume Munar plays a brilliant match against Karen Khachanov. After his victory, he graciously answers my questions in a verbose, analytical, and sincere manner.

Then, I interview a downcast Tsitsipas after his defeat to Van de Zandschulp, an emotional Wawrinka for the tribute paid to him after losing in his last appearance in Rotterdam, and a De Miñaur who keeps reaffirming his great ambition to grow as a tennis player. It is a day filled with work, anecdotes, conversations with other journalists, and news to write. This is what makes this profession so addictive, giving meaning to work and fueling our passion.

On Friday, I attend the night session at the tournament. There are few matches; everyone is focused on the duel between Grieskpoor and Auger-Aliassime, and I can wander through the event's intricacies. I enjoy the intensity of wheelchair tennis players' training, with a parallel tournament happening this same week, and I can step onto the training courts and see how the balls wear out rapidly, promoting very slow playing conditions.

After the Canadian's match, I witness a heartwarming conversation between Félix and a child who idolizes him. He advises him, shows interest in him, and displays a kindness that has been evident to me every time I met him. His face lights up when asked about his humanitarian project in Togo, proving that he is much more than a tennis player enclosed in his bubble.

The match between Munar and Bublik was very special to the Dutch audience

The main event arrives. Munar faces Bublik. It is 9:40 PM when they step onto the court, and that doesn't prevent the stadium from having a good turnout. I sit among fans, and they soon realize I am Spanish and genuinely interested in Jaume's victory. Beyond my personal admiration for him, I sharpen my journalist skills knowing that if he wins, I will be able to ask him some questions. For over two hours, the show is sublime, the tension evident, and the Dutch fans are amazed by the game of both players.

Several people around me ask about the Balearic player. "This guy has changed a lot, hasn't he?" one says. "When I saw him before, he seemed like a clay court warrior; I didn't expect this game," says a veteran fan who tells me she has spent 30 years of her life attending the tournament and loves tennis above all else.

After the match, in a crowded metro at 1:15 AM, when the whole country should be in the fifth dream, I see fans asking about Chat GPT where that Spanish player came from, if he plays well on grass, and what his ranking is. Bublik won, who told us he was physically on the edge and had been unable to sleep well all week. Hence his suicidal tennis, with drop shots and an inexorable pursuit of the winning shot.

This is how my adventure in Rotterdam ends. I arrived with a backpack full of excitement and leave with another filled with unforgettable experiences, which stand as an efficient driving force to continue working day by day, bringing this sport closer to more fans and making Punto de Break a reference in tennis information.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así vivimos el torneo de Rotterdam desde dentro